Page 151 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Danish Energy Agency (DEA, or Energistyrelsen) the country, suitable for the provision of IoT/M2M
has approved the award of a 16-year nationwide and wireless broadband services. TeleGeography’s
450MHz spectrum license to Net 1 Denmark (registered GlobalComms Database shows that Net 1 Denmark
as Ice Danmark), the current holder of the frequencies. operates a 4G LTE 450MHz cellular network covering
Denmark Last month the DEA announced an auction for the 98% of the population and has repositioned itself as
single national license – effective from 24 January
an M2M/IoT provider. The operator specializes in
2022 to 31 December 2037 – which would have taken critical communications services for companies and
place on 23 June 2020, but as Net 1 was the sole organizations, providing M2M connectivity on the
applicant, the regulator offered it the frequencies for national LTE network alongside LoRaWAN and fiber
the minimum bid price of just DKK50,000 (USD7,600). connections. Net 1 Denmark has just been acquired by
Terms and conditions of the concession aim to ensure Cibicom.
that the spectrum is used effectively throughout (June 17, 2020) commsupdate.com

The IT Minister has moved to get the country’s 5G included a fourth license to allow for the entry of a new
spectrum auction back on track after it was cancelled player. IT minister Raul Siem has now proposed that
due to legal action. In February 2019 telecoms the auction be expanded to include a fourth permit. A
watchdog the Consumer Protection and Technical statement from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and
Estonia Regulatory Authority (Tarbijakaitse ja Tehnilise Communications (Majandus ja Kommunikatsiooni
Jarelevalve Amet, TTJA) announced an auction for three Ministeerium, MKM) cites the Minister as saying
licenses in the 3.6GHz (3410MHz-3800MHz) band for that this move would encourage competition while
future 5G services. A reserve price of EUR1.597 million also helping to ensure the efficient use of frequency
(USD1.8 million) was set per license, with 130MHz of resources. ‘We need to keep the market open to as
TDD frequencies available under each concession. many new developments and providers as possible.
The country’s trio of cellcos – Telia, Elisa and Tele2 This helps to ensure a sustainable and diverse choice
– signaled their intent to take part in the auction, but of services even in today’s significantly changed
the sale was derailed a month later following a legal economic environment,’ Siem said. Applications for the
challenge by wireless ISP Levicom, which said the revised auction are open until 18 June.
auction favored the incumbents and should have (June 4, 2020) commsupdate.com

Ethiopia said 12 foreign companies have submitted comprising Vodafone, Vodacom, and Safaricom.
bids for a partial stake in the country’s giant The two non-telecom companies are Kandu Global
telecommunications monopoly. In a press release, the Telecommunications and Electromecha International
Ethiopian Telecommunications Authority (ECA) said it Projects. One company's bid submission was
Ethiopia has received complete information and expression of incomplete, the ECA said. It is not yet clear when the
interest from nine international telecom operators and winners will be announced. As part of a multifarious
two non-telecom companies. According to the ECA, reform program launched after Prime Minister Abiy
the bidders from the telecom sector are Etisalat, Axian, Ahmed assumed power in 2018, Ethiopia rolled out a
MTN, Orange, Saudi Telecom Company, Telkom SA, privatization drive that amounts to 40% of the country's
Liquid Telecom, Snail Mobile, and Global Partnership telecom sector.
for Ethiopia, a consortium of telecom operators (June 27, 2020) aa.com.tr

Finland’s Ministry of Transport and Communications duration of fixed-period mobile subscriptions, from 24
(Liikenne-ja viestintaministerio, MoTC) has months to twelve; the raising of the minimum speed
outlined proposed reforms to the Act on Electronic of the universal service broadband from 2Mbps to
Communications Services, with a view to implementing 5Mbps; and a capping of the rate for calling universal
Finland the requirements of the EU Directive on Audiovisual access numbers at no more than the cost of calling
mobile or local fixed line numbers. Further, the MoTC
Media Services (the so-called ‘AVMS Directive’) and the
European Electronic Communications Code (the EECC, has also proposed a requirement for operators to notify
or the Telecoms Package Directive). In a press release the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency
regarding the matter, the MoTC noted that among the key (Liikenne- ja viestintavirasto, Traficom) six months
proposals being made are: a reduction of the maximum before they intend to remove or replace legacy networks,

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