Page 97 - SAMENA Trends - June-August 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

CURA Issues New ISP License to Netcetera; Modifies Bluewave’s Concession

Isle of Man-based BlueWave apparatus on public and private land, In a separate but related development, the
Communications has been issued a subject to the conditions contained within CURA announced that it has issued an
modified telecommunications license Schedule 5 of its license. In making the ISP license to Netcetera Limited, allowing
by the Communications and Utilities modification, the CURA claimed that the the company to ‘run telecommunications
Regulatory Authority (CURA). According to application of Code Powers to BlueWave’s systems within the Isle of Man in order
the watchdog, BlueWave’s concession has License ‘would be in the public interest to provide internet and internet related
been modified to include the addition of as it would improve the competitive services.
Code Powers, which will grant it the right environment for consumers in the Isle of
to install and maintain its own telecoms Man through improved access to services.

MTN Group Confirms it Will Not Take Part in Ethiopia’s Next License Tender

South Africa-based telecoms giant MTN Group has confirmed opportunity to have been part of the previous process.’
it does not intend to take part in the Ethiopian government’s
planned tender for a second new communications license. MTN
was one of two bidders for nationwide telecoms concessions
offered by Ethiopia earlier this year as part of plans to liberalize
its communications sector, but ultimately missed out after its
bid was deemed too low. Now, having noted that its bid for that
initial license sale ‘took into account the license conditions as
well as related uncertainties’, the South African group said that
while it was disappointed to have lost out, it was ‘comfortable
that [its] approach was guided by disciplined strategic and capital
allocation frameworks’. With a second license tender on the
horizon, however, MTN Group confirmed: ‘The Group has decided
not to participate in the new liberalization processes underway
in Ethiopia, and we thank the Ethiopian government for the

JCRA Issues New License Terms for JT and Sure

Modifications to the statutory operating licenses for JT Jersey a requirement to notify the JCRA in advance of entering into any
and Sure Jersey have now been issued by the Jersey Competition agreement with another operator to share network assets; an
Regulatory Authority (JCRA), following its investigation into express requirement to comply with Jersey competition law when
potentially ‘anticompetitive’ behavior by the two operators. sharing such network assets; and a proportionate compliance
In a press release regarding the matter, the JCRA noted that regime. Commenting, the JCRA’s chief executive Tim Ringsdore
JT and Sure had previously entered into a Memorandum of said: ‘We are determined that any requirements for network
Understanding (MoU) that would have enabled them to share a sharing, or any type of competitive sharing, such as to enable
new 5G network which the regulator feared could have operated the rolling out of 5G, are developed in a fair manner that lets all
to the detriment of other operators and, ultimately, consumers. As operators compete fairly, safeguarding the interests of consumers
a result of the watchdog’s investigation, JT and Sure terminated and promoting economic growth and sustainability … We have a
the MoU and committed to assist the JCRA to develop new license duty to ensure that Competition Law is adhered to, and I would
and compliance conditions to prevent that happening in future. urge all businesses, regardless of their industry, to familiarize
These conditions are now implemented in the modified licenses themselves with the Law and be clear about their responsibilities.’
and impose clear obligations on JT and Sure to ensure that any Meanwhile, the JCRA has said it will now undertake a consultation
use of shared assets or networks is ‘fully compatible with healthy process to implement similar license conditions for all ‘relevant’
competition, benefiting consumers through lower prices and faster telecoms operators in Jersey and will publish guidelines on fair
rollout of new technology’. With the modified licenses having network sharing ‘later this year’.
come into effect yesterday (4 August), the new conditions include:

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