Page 156 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Malaysia swiftly backtracked on a plan to bypass 700MHz to the five companies on 15 May. However, in
a 5G tender process and hand out spectrum to five its statement, Saifuddin said to ensure a transparent
companies, citing legal and technical issues, along with process, he directed the MCMC Chairman to cancel the
a lack of transparency for the about turn. In a statement, ministerial directive and review the decision. In early
the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia said January, MCMC said it was considering allocating
it was cancelling its order for regulator Malaysian spectrum to a consortium of licensees through an open
Communications and Multimedia Commission to tender. Bloomberg reported the decision in May had
allocate the spectrum to Celcom Axiata; Maxis; Digi; surprised the market, as it was an “abrupt departure”
Telekom Malaysia; and Altel Communications. Minister from the regulator’s original plan, which has seemingly
for Communications and Multimedia Saifuddin led to the move being abandoned.
Abdullah had issued the directive to assign blocks of (June 3, 2010) mobileworldlive.com

The Ministry of Transport and Communications simplify sales, particularly in cases were prospective
(MOTC) has issued a statement reminding users to re- customers lacked the necessary identification card,
register their SIM cards by the 30 June deadline, when and consequently many SIMs were not properly linked
unregistered SIMs will be deactivated. The Ministry to the user. As part of the move, the MOTC imposed a
launched the re-registration drive in February this year limit of two SIMs per operator per national identification
Myanmar to help protect the security of mobile financial services, card. Unregistered SIMs were partially blocked from 30
prevent phone-related crime and to crackdown on April, with outgoing calls limited to the SIM registration
incorrectly registered SIMs. The MOTC noted at the call center.
time that sellers frequently pre-registered SIMs to (June 243, 2020) commsupdate.com

The Netherlands’ telecoms regulatory body has world which will result in a new form of connectedness.
announced that it will begin auctioning the country’s Keeping our customers connected is at the core of what
first 5G spectrum. . The countries mobile network we do, and we know this partnership with Ericsson will
operators can begin bidding on 5G spectrum in the ensure that we do just that,” said Jeroen Hoencamp,
The 700 MHz band which will allow them to launch their CEO of VodafoneZiggo. By using the DSS technology,
Vodafone claims that it will be able to offer its 5G
5G networks in earnest. Official auctioneer, Martijn
Netherlands Meijers of the Telecom Agency, told journalists at the customers download speeds of 1 Gbps and reduce
country’s national broadcaster, NOS, that the auction latency by around 30 per cent. Vodafone said that it
was expected to fetch more than €900 million, saying will make 5G services available to 50 per cent of the
that he expected strong demand from the country’s population by the end of July 2020. The Netherlands
telcos. "This is because mobile internet is used more is set to auction off additional 5G spectrum later in the
and more. As a result, demand exceeds supply and second quarter of 2020, with lots in the 3.5 GHz and 26
bands are given to the parties who value it most," GHz bands set to go under the hammer. (June 29, 2020) itp.net
he said. The first phase of the auction will continue
until all bids have been submitted. After that, winning The telecoms regulator the Authority for Consumers &
bidders will be allocated their spectrum during the Markets (ACM) has published for consultation its draft
second phase of the auction. To date, only one mobile guidelines for sharing mobile networks, clarifying how
network operator has managed to launch 5G services cellcos may cooperate in their rollouts. ACM notes that
in The Netherlands. Vodafone Ziggo became the first cooperation between telecom providers can help en-
operator to launch 5G earlier this year. Despite the fact sure that investments are made in a responsible man-
that the Dutch telecoms regulator had not yet made ner, whilst not at the expense of mutual competition.
5G spectrum available for auction, Vodafone launched The guidance explains that cellcos may collaborate ‘at
5G services using Ericsson’s Dynamic Spectrum an earlier stage’ in finding new antenna locations to
Sharing (DSS) technology over its existing 1,800 MHz improve coverage and capacity of 4G and 5G mobile
spectrum. “5G is an evolution that opens doors to new networks faster and more efficiently, as ACM highlights
possibilities. Today we are introducing 5G via ‘Ericsson that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find antenna
Spectrum Sharing’ in our GigaNet. We are making use of locations due to the growth in the number of mobile
the latest innovative technology to apply 5G in existing antennas and the decreasing availability of locations.
frequency bands, using our existing antennas. With The gradual phasing out of 2G/3G and legal rules for
the addition of 5G, we want to offer the Netherlands the rental of frequencies also offer opportunities to co-
the best fixed and mobile digital infrastructure in the operate more, the watchdog added (stating that rental

156 JUNE-JULY 2020