Page 153 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

data speeds of at least 50Mbps to 98% of households Deutschland until the end of this year to fulfil the
nationwide and 97% of households in each federal obligations, or face being fined. The companies were
state by 1 January 2020, as well as fully supplying the also given interim deadlines in June and September in
main traffic routes. All three MNOs did not fully meet order to counteract further delays as early as possible.
the coverage requirements on time but the watchdog (July 10, 2020) commsupdate.com
gave Telefonica, Vodafone Germany and Telekom

The National Communications Authority (NCA) has disadvantaged operators, the setting of floor and
announced its intention to classify MTN Ghana as ceiling prices on telecoms and mobile money services,
a dominant or significant market power (SMP), in and a review to ensure MTN’s rivals are not subject
accordance with its mandate under Section 20 (13) of to exclusionary pricing or behavior, or disadvantaged
Ghana the Electronic Communications Act of 2008. According by MTN’s access to information. Operators will also
to a statement published on Saturday, ‘the NCA will in
be required to present plans for the implementation
the coming days begin the implementation of specific of national roaming services in the next 30 days, for
policies to ensure a level playing field for all network execution within the next 90 days.
operators within the industry.’ These measures will (June 9, 2020) commsupdate.com
include an asymmetrical interconnection rate to benefit

The National Telecommunications & Post Commission 26GHz bands. The regulator is inviting submissions
(Ethniki Epitropi Tilepikoinonion kai Tachydromeion, by 4 August. The authority revealed in May that it was
EETT) has opened a consultation into the planned sale expecting to complete the 5G spectrum sale by the end
of spectrum in the 700MHz, 2GHz, 3.4GHz-3.8GHz and of this year. (June 17, 2020) commsupdate.com
Greece

Hong Kong’s Office of the Communications Authority The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) in
(OFCA) says it has received an ‘enthusiastic’ response Hong Kong has awarded its sixth and final subsidized
to its subsidy scheme for encouraging the development fiber network rollout contract to HKT. The award is
of 5G projects which was launched on 5 May. The part of a wider project which aims to deliver fiber-
Hong Kong regulator says it has so far received 81 applications based services to 235 remote communities across
nine districts in the New Territories and outlying
for subsidies, with three of these already approved.
The government will subsidies 50% of the project costs islands, while at the same time improving inter-island
directly relevant to the deployment of 5G technology, connectivity by deploying three submarine cables.
subject to a cap of HKD500,000 (USD64,500). It is The first five contracts under the tender were awarded
anticipated that around 100 qualified projects will be earlier this year, with two going to HKT and three to HGC
subsidized. The scheme aims to promote projects such Global Communications. The sixth project – covering
as smart city applications. (June 15, 2020) commsupdate.com Lantau Island, Cheung Chau and Peng Chau – did not
receive any bids so was put out to tender again.
(June 2, 2020) commsupdate.com

Telecom regulator TRAI strongly advocated domestic manufacturing of telecom equipment and ensure
manufacturing of telecom equipment and "digital value addition. He warned against dumping strategies
sovereignty", as it stressed on the importance of resorted by countries to kill domestic industry before
providing opportunities for local players in the sector raising prices, and added that such "tactics" need to
India and called for sharp focus on digital infrastructure be countered with preferential market access policy.
investments. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India "Ultimately countries have strategies where they
(TRAI) Chairman R S Sharma said government policies actually dump things and they try to kill the domestic
relating to electronics and local handset manufacturing industry and then they raise the prices...essentially we
have "paid rich dividends", and added that more need to realize this tactics and we need to appropriately
needs to be done, particularly to push domestic give preferential market access policy which has been

153 JUNE-JULY 2020