Page 103 - SAMENA Trends - March-April 2022

WHOLESALE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Ukrainian Mobile Operators Unite, Launch National Roaming

Mobile operators Kyivstar, Vodafone Ukraine and lifecell together
with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the State
Service for Special Communications and Information Protection
of Ukraine, the National Commission for State Regulation in the
Fields of Electronic Communications, Radio Frequency Spectrum
and Provision of Postal Services together with the Ukrainian
Association of Telecom Operators "Telas" announce the launch
of national roaming in Ukraine. "This means that subscribers
can switch to the network of other operators if it is not possible
to use the signal of their mobile operator. In the context of
military aggression, mobile operators and the Ministry of Digital
Transformation, State Service for Special Communications and
Information Protection of Ukraine, the National Commission for
State Regulation in the Fields of Electronic Communications and
Telas have joined forces to ensure the continuity of communication
services for their subscribers," the joint statement said. "First of throughout the territory Ukraine. That is, if the connection of
all, it will be connected in the zone of active hostilities (Kharkiv, one operator disappears, the subscriber will be able to manually
Kherson, Sumy, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Donetsk, connect the connection of another operator," the message says.
Luhansk, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv regions), then in Chernihiv, Currently, national roaming is available for voice calls and SMS
Zhytomyr, Cherkasy and Vinnytsia regions and subsequently messages within Ukraine from all mobile operators.

Windstream Wholesale Taps Infinera for Modernization

Windstream Wholesale and Infinera have will ‘enable Windstream to offer innovative Intelligent Converged Optical Network
announced plans to collaborate on an new connectivity services optimized (ICON) initiative and utilize a new platform
initiative to transform Windstream’s optical to seamlessly support the hyperscale jointly pioneered by both companies, called
network infrastructure. According to the capacity growth of its customers’. The Node-on-a-Blade.
press release, the modernized network upgrade will form part of Windstream’s

ICCC Details Findings Following Preliminary Inquiry into Broadband Prices

Papua New Guinea’s Independent stakeholders including DataCo, Digicel Commenting, ICCC commissioner and CEO
Consumer and Competition Commission PNG, Daltron PNG, Telikom PNG and Paulus Ain was cited as saying: ‘The ICCC
(ICCC) has announced the conclusion of the Datec PNG. Among its key findings were: understands that NICTA will be conducting
preliminary inquiry it launched following different cost structures for ISPs in PNG an enquiry this year into the retail market for
consumer complaints regarding the prices are affecting their pricing for internet internet broadband services in PNG. This
of retail broadband internet services in the services at retail level; the National is due to create regulatory oversight in this
country. The complaints reportedly came Transmission Network (NTN) operated segment of the market and enable ISPs to
amid growing concern from consumers by DataCo is mostly ‘unreliable’ with too compete efficiently, in providing services
that ‘substantial’ reductions in the prices many prolonged outages; and prices to consumers.’ According to Ain, the ICCC
for wholesale internet broadband services for DataCo’s metro fibre service remain will ‘continue in its efforts to rectify market
by PNG DataCo Limited in 2021 were relatively high despite an advertised 66% failure issues in the market, by supporting
not being passed down to consumers price reduction. Meanwhile, the ICCC NICTA throughout its review process in
at the retail end. With the ICCC having said that vertical integration issues had providing submissions/information, from
conducted its inquiry between December been identified with DataCo; with the findings the ICCC has uncovered through
2021 and March 2022, seeking to identify latter having control of key wholesale investigations/enquiries of its own,
the underlying issues relating to these infrastructure while also participating in including this current inquiry.’
consumer complaints, it confirmed it had the retail market the watchdog said this
received feedback from major industry raised potential competition concerns.

103 MARCH-APRIL 2022