Page 158 - SAMENA Trends - June-August 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Council of Ministers has adopted a draft decree In addition, with the government seemingly determined
codifying the Regulatory Authority for Electronic to level the playing field in the country’s telecoms
Communications and Posts (ARCEP’s) improved market, it has unveiled a draft decree to determine
powers for handling conflict resolution, sanctions, and which operators hold significant market power (SMP).
Togo conciliation processes. Togo First cited a statement If the decree is adopted, ARCEP will be tasked with
from the council which confirmed: ‘This draft decree, generating a report every year assessing the status of
which simultaneously aims to protect consumer rights the digital communications market in Togo. This report
and the interests of operators in the sector, aims will be examined by the council of ministers, the paper
to specify the rules for conciliation, the handling of notes.
disputes and the application of sanctions by ARCEP’. (July 8, 2021) commsupdate.com

A Trinidadian High Court Judge has declared that facilitate portability, not implement it. The Trinidad and
state-backed operator Telecommunications Services Tobago Guardian quotes Justice Seepersad as saying:
of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) is legally required to ‘TSTT’s interpretation of the proposed amendment to
implement fixed number portability (FNP) – five years Regulation 9 disregards the established interpretative
Trinidad after its chief rival first raised the issue. Delivering a requirement to avoid an interpretation which is absurd
written judgement, Justice Frank Seepersad partially
and its position defies common sense, commercial
upheld a 2016 lawsuit from Columbus Communications logic and is devoid of practicality … Citizens should
Trinidad Limited (CCTL, trading as Flow) against not be forced, frustrated or blackmailed into staying
industry watchdog the Telecommunication Authority with a telecommunications provider because of fear
of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT), over its failure to of inconvenience or uncertainty. TSTT’s behavior has
enforce the issue. In doing so, Justice Seepersad been callous and calculating and must be roundly
rejected TSTT’s claims that the Telecommunications rejected.’
Act and its associated regulations only required that it (August 3, 2021) commsupdate.com

The government of Uganda has been awarded USD200 communities. The funding will include USD140 million
million financing by the World Bank to carry out a of financing from the World Bank’s International
series of digital inclusion schemes. The new Uganda Development Association (IDA) plus a grant of USD60
Digital Acceleration Project-GovNet (UDAP-GovNet) million. Tony Thompson, World Bank Country Manager
Uganda will support the extension of 1,000km of national fiber for Uganda, commented: ‘Transforming Uganda’s
digital infrastructure is an urgent necessity for post-
backbone infrastructure, an additional 500km of fiber-
optic network links between towns, mobile broadband COVID-19 recovery. We look forward to the time when
connections for 900 government administrative units all citizens can access high quality and low-cost
and service centers in underserved areas, and 828 internet, public services online, a digital economy
Wi-Fi hotspots in select locations to support access driving growth, innovation and job creation.’
to online services among rural and underserved (June 8, 2021) commsupdate.com

OFCOM has published proposals to change the operate their networks without them interfering with
way it licenses certain satellite systems. OFCOM each other. To help support competition in this market
explains that a number of new satellite broadband and protect the quality of the service customers
networks are currently being developed, which use receive, OFCOM is proposing changes to the licensing
United Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbit (NGSO) systems process for NGSO systems. This includes new checks
on potential interference between networks, and
to connect people to the internet, particularly those
Kingdom in hard-to-reach areas. NGSO systems are more publishing license applications it receives so that other
sophisticated than earlier satellite broadband interested parties have an opportunity to raise any
networks. Rather than ground equipment pointing at a interference or competition concerns. The changes
single satellite to connect people, NGSO networks can would also require different networks to co-operate
involve thousands of satellites orbiting the Earth which with each other on technical matters to avoid risk of
satellite dishes need to track as they move across the disruption to their services, under the conditions of their
sky. While this can potentially bring faster speeds to license. OFCOM says that it recognizes the importance
customers, OFCOM says, it can be more complex for of these new services to the wider space sector and
different NGSO satellite operators to agree how to will be publishing its Space Sector Spectrum Strategy

158 JUN-AUG 2021