Page 123 - SAMENA Trends - March-April 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Jordan

Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) posted on its million until the end of the last quarter 2021, the TRC added.
website the statistical report on Jordan's telecom sector indicators Mobile subscriptions as a percentage of the total adult population
for the last quarter of 2021, related to landline subscriptions, reached 102.74 per cent by the end of the fourth quarter, while
mobile and broadband internet services. According to the TRC mobile subscriptions as a percentage of the population hit 65.7 per
report, the total number of landline services subscribers until cent, the TRC figures revealed. Internet broadband subscriptions
the end of the 2021 fourth quarter reached a total of 278, 000- stood at 329,700 fiber subscriptions in the 4th quarter of 2021,
185K for household purpose, and a total of 93k for commercial the TRC data showed.
goals. The total mobile phone subscriptions amounted to 7.275 (March 10, 2022) petra.gov.jo

Nepal

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) has ordered for public WiFi service will be subject to necessary actions. To
ISPs to call a halt to their price war in the high speed fixed conduct the project, Nta has shortlisted 5 consultant firms.
broadband market. At a meeting with representatives of the However, this is only the first round of the selection procedure.
Internet Service Providers’ Association of Nepal (ISPAN) held on In the final phase, Nta will assess consultants’ proposals before
4 April, the regulator issued a warning about what it described selecting one for the study. The selected consultants (companies)
as ‘arbitrary’ tariffs and an ‘unnecessary’ price war, reminding are – Green Tick Nepal, Malakai Mekhi Technology and Suppliers,
the companies of their obligation to obtain tariff approval before Inclusive Everest, Synergy JV, and Tangent Consultant Group and
launching any new packages. In an effort to address service Suppliers. Now, NTA will seek financial and technical proposals
providers’ concerns, meanwhile, the regulator agreed to form a from each company. Then the authority will select one in the
sub-committee to resolve short and long-term issues hindering last phase of the selection procedure. The company will then
the sector. Following the launch of CG Net’s aggressively priced investigate public WiFi hotspots’ performance standards and
120Mbps connection in June 2021, rival ISPs responded with their submit the report to NTA. NTA says that the consultant will
own price cuts and speed upgrades, including the introduction inspect the performance standards of public WiFis as per the
of 1Gbps accesses in January of this year. However, customers WiFi Hotspot Operation Regulation. In addition, those who fail to
frequently complain their fixed broadband services do not deliver meet the standards will be subject to necessary actions. Many
the advertised speeds and are unstable. (April 11, 2022) Nepalitelecom.com service providers offer free public WiFi for people benefitting
them with connectivity on the go. It is a generous offer for the
Telecom authority NTA is prepared to inspect WiFi performance public who gets to browse social media, share posts, pictures,
and has shortlisted 5 consultants. The project will assess the and videos where WiFi is available. But if the available network is
quality of WiFi performance in public areas as offered by ISPs poor, it rather affords a painful experience for many. the telecom
for free. The assessment will comply with the WiFi Hotspots authority wants to ensure it is not the case.
Operations Regulation. And those who fail on NTA’s parameters (April 3, 2022) nepalitelecom.com

Oman

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority’s (TRA) survey on the respondents agreed that the branch offices of their service
the satisfaction of users of fixed telecommunication services has providers are located in appropriate places. While 74.2 per cent
revealed that 70 per cent of people in Oman are satisfied with the of participants said that their service provider takes an active
fixed-line telecommunications services, while 52 per cent of them role in solving users’ problems, 86 per cent agreed that their
are not satisfied with the prices of fixed-line Internet services. service provider is always ready to help. As for the results of the
The statistics showed that 65.4 per cent of the participants ‘Satisfaction of Mobile Telecommunication Services Beneficiaries
agreed that the quality of service – in general – provided by the survey, 73 per cent of individuals in Oman are satisfied with the
service provider is always excellent, and that 84.5 per cent of mobile telecommunication services, while 45 per cent of them are

123 MARCH-APRIL 2022