Page 102 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

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WHOLESALE NEWS

Telia Offers 5G Roaming Between Sweden, Norway and Finland

Sweden’s Telia Company has launched 5G roaming between its
subsidiaries in Sweden, Norway and Finland. To use the service,
customers need a 5G-ready subscription and smartphone, and
they need to be in an area where there is 5G coverage. The firm
says it will expand roaming to cover its operations in Denmark,
Estonia and Lithuania once 5G services become available in
those countries. Telia is also in dialogue with several international
operators to establish bilateral 5G roaming beyond Scandinavia
and the Baltic region. Thomas Moe, Head of Roaming at Telia
Company, commented: ‘Travelling is currently limited due to
Corona. But this is about laying the groundwork for the future and
we have now taken an important first step by launching 5G roaming
between Finland, Norway and Sweden. We want to be able to offer
our customers the best possible customer experience, regardless
of which country they visit.’

GCRA Confirms MTR Reductions

A new decision on mobile termination much closer approximation of Guernsey has confirmed the regulatory direction will
rates (MTRs) has been confirmed by the Mobile Network Operator (MNO) costs apply from 1 September 2020, at which
Guernsey Competition and Regulatory of terminating calls on their respective date MTRs for all three domestic MNOs –
Authority (GCRA), which had previously mobile networks and is more closely JT Guernsey, Sure Guernsey and Guernsey
launched a consultation on its proposals aligned with the prevailing level of MTRs in Airtel – will be reduced to GBP0.0311
in April 2020. As per the regulator’s neighboring jurisdictions’. With the GCRA (USD0.039) per minute. Further cuts to the
statutory notice of a decision, it said it having reportedly considered all issues rate are scheduled, meanwhile, with it to
was setting out ‘the revised price control raised by respondents to its April 2020 fall to GBP0.011 per minute from 1 June
applicable to Guernsey MTRs so as to consultation, it said it did not consider 2021, while a final reduction will see it drop
bring MTRs down to a level that, based that any of the matters raised would to GBP0.007 per minute from 1 June 2022.
on the available evidence, is likely to be a require it to amend its plans. As such, it

Chorus Announces Wholesale Fiber Price Cuts, Lockdown Debt Support

Package

New Zealand-based wholesale fixed line fiber pricing will be cut by NZD3 a month while still enabling ongoing investment in
provider Chorus has updated retail service to NZD52. Chorus previously announced infrastructure. ‘We are conscious of the
providers (RSPs) on planned changes to the in March that the annual regulated CPI critical role Chorus infrastructure played
pricing of its wholesale fiber products over increase to fiber products will be delayed during the lockdown, and we believe this
the next three months, as well as details until 1 October 2020, at which point the mix of pricing changes will support RSPs,
of a NZD2 million (USD1.29 million) fund price for 100Mbps fiber will increase from allow Chorus to continue to invest in the
to provide relief for RSPs who chose not NZD46 to NZD47.15. The reduced pricing capacity, reach and resilience of the fiber
to cut off customers who were unable to and delayed increase are expected to network, and also enable more customers
pay during the COVID-19 lockdown. Under deliver savings of around NZD10 million to benefit from higher specification plans,’
the plans gigabit wholesale pricing will be to RSPs. Chorus CEO JB Rousselot claims he said.
reduced from NZD60 a month to NZD56 the changes strike the right balance
from 1 July 2020, while small business between passing on savings to RSPs,
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