Page 141 - SAMENA Trends - June-August 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Technical Commission for the Rehabilitation of profitability. The decision is part of commitment
Public and Para-public Enterprises (La Commission made by the Cameroon within the framework of an
Technique de Rehabilitation, CTR) is preparing a Economic and Financial Program with the IMF, under
complete diagnostic audit of state-owned telco which the government pledged to conduct audits
Cameroon CamTel. To that end, the CTR this week published a of public enterprises to ensure their viability and
call for expressions of interest (EoIs) for a consultant competitiveness. In the case of CamTel, the operator
to conduct the study. The audit is set to examine was initially found to be facing stagnating turnover,
the economic environment, the operator’s current declining operating income and rising debts. According
marketing strategy and its overall competitiveness. to the CTR, this is the result of: ‘the repeated failure of
In addition, the study will examine CamTel’s financial privatization efforts initiated over the past decade as
position and set out the necessary actions for the well as the freezing of structuring investments and a
company to achieve ‘budget equilibrium’ and ensure lack of a long-term plan.’ (June 18, 2021) Business Cameroon

Innovation, Science & Economic Development Canada Xplornet: 263/698 licenses won/transitioned (16.6
(ISED) has announced the results of the country’s million population, CAD244.4 million)
3500MHz 5G frequency license auction, raising SaskTel won 68 licenses at auction (1.1 million
CAD8.912 billion (USD7.146 billion) after 103 rounds population, CAD145.1 million)
Canada of bidding. A total of 3,431 regional spectrum licenses Eastlink won 50 licenses at auction (2.3 million
were assigned, including 1,495 licenses won via auction population, CAD27.9 million)
and 1,936 ‘transitioned’ licenses – existing fixed- Tbaytel: four/15 licenses won/transitioned (231,000
wireless 3.5GHz permits converted to new licenses population, CAD1.1 million)
enabling mobile or fixed 5G services. The 200MHz Iristel won eight licenses at auction (219,000
(3450MHz-3650MHz) bandwidth was divided into 20 population, CAD483,000). (July 30, 2021) commsupdate.com
10MHz TDD blocks in each of the 172 geographical
licensing regions. Just nine licenses went unsold. Out Canada’s ongoing 3500MHz 5G license auction is
of 23 applicants, 20 winners were awarded 3.5GHz expected to raise up to CAD8 billion (USD6.4 billion),
spectrum under 20-year ‘Tier 4’ concessions, including according to sources cited by The Globe & Mail. Over
the following: 20 applicants have been bidding on 1,500 spectrum
Rogers Communications won 325 licenses at auction licenses within 172 geographical blocks since 15
and received 509 transitioned licenses, covering a June, and the sources indicated that the auction is
combined 34.9 million population, costing CAD3.326 currently in the assignment phase and is expected
billion to be completed by 23 July. If preliminary reports are
Bell Canada won 271 licenses at auction and received accurate, the 3500MHz proceeds would be a record
490 transitioned licenses, covering a combined 34.3 amount for a Canadian wireless spectrum sale.
million population, costing CAD2.074 billion TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database says that the
Telus received 142/86 auctioned/transitioned licenses existing record is CAD5.27 billion achieved in February
covering 24.9 million people for CAD1.947 billion 2014’s 700MHz license auction, which surpassed the
Videotron: 294/five licenses won/transitioned (30.0 CAD4.25 billion earned by the federal government via
million population, CAD830.0 million) the AWS-1 (1700MHz) auction of July 2008.
Cogeco Connexion: 38/80 licenses won/transitioned (July 15, 2021) commsupdate.com
(10.3 million population, CAD295.1 million)

Chilean telecommunications regulator the operational in the first half of 2024. The project, says
Subsecretariat of Telecommunications (SUBTEL) SUBTEL, remedies a historical connectivity deficit in
has announced the launch of a public tender for the the region, and will benefit 15 localities. The minister
deployment of a fiber optic project in the country’s of transport and telecommunications (MTT), Gloria
Chile Tarapacá region. This is not a small undertaking. The Hutt, said that “we continue to meet the challenges
that we set ourselves in our Digital Matrix, which aims
SUBTEL press release mentions a government subsidy
of more than $8.2 million for the deployment of about to provide greater and better connectivity to different
870 kilometers of optical fiber. Tarapacá is a region locations throughout the country. We expect great
in northern Chile, bordering Bolivia. According to the interest from the private sector in this project that will
Bnamericas website, works are expected to begin transform the Tarapacá region.” Companies interested
in the first half of 2023 and the network is due to be in applying may do so until Tuesday, 12 October, 2021

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