Page 131 - SAMENA Trends - March-April 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

candidacies were submitted and deemed admissible spectrum assignments in the country. The winning
for the 1400MHz band, which is intended to provide bidders and details of their spectrum assignments will
additional downlink capacity. The format chosen for the be made public after the auction.
tender is a simultaneous multi-stage auction with bids, (March 22, 2022) commsupdate.com
which is the same system employed for previous radio

Industry watchdog the Bhutan InfoComm and Media proposed frequency plan would see the allocation
Authority (BICMA) has published a consultation paper of 80MHz for TD-LTE, with 10MHz guard bands at
on the feasibility of the 2300MHz band for 4G services, the upper and lower end of the range (i.e. 2300MHz-
with a view to improving capacity for mobile broadband 2310MHz and 2390MHz-2400MHz) to minimize
Bhutan services. The paper notes that the frequency range is interference with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and amateur radio
widely used for 4G in other markets and that there is services. No deadline was stipulated for feedback on
a good range of mobile devices that are compatible the proposals.
with the band already in circulation in Bhutan. BICMA’s (March 22, 2022) commsupdate.com

The government has unveiled plans to invest around as schools. All villages with a population of at least
USD12.7 million to connect 500 villages across the 5,000 will receive a 4G signal as part of the SmartBots
country to the internet. The funding will come from project being run by the Botswana Communications
the Universal Access and Service Fund (UASF) which Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), which manages the
Botswana uses contributions from telco revenues to improve UASF.
connectivity in rural areas and in public buildings, such (March 24, 2022) commsupdate.com

The National Telecommunications Agency (Agencia the spectrum could be freed up by reducing the amount
Nacional de Telecomunicacoes, Anatel) has disclosed of spectrum currently used for point-to-point radio
plans to stage a 45-day public consultation regarding links and Public Security and Civil Defence (Seguranca
the suitability of the 4.9GHz band to support 5G Publica e Defesa Civil, PPDR). The consultation is
Brazil technology. In presenting his analysis of the band, expected to take place in the second half of 2022.
Anatel official Moises Queiroz Moreira suggested that
(April 8, 2022) commsupdate.com

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications originally proposed. As a result, Rogers will contribute
Commission (CRTC) has approved Rogers’ acquisition CAD27.2 million (USD21.7 million) to various initiatives
of Shaw’s broadcasting services, subject to a number and funds, including those that support the production
Canada of conditions and modifications. The CRTC has also set of content by Indigenous producers and members
of equity-seeking groups. Benefits will be directed
out several safeguards to ensure that the transaction
benefits Canadians and the Canadian broadcasting to the Canada Media Fund, the Independent Local
system. As part of this transaction, Rogers is acquiring News Fund, the Broadcasting Accessibility Fund and
16 cable services based in Western Canada, a national the Broadcasting Participation Fund, among others.
satellite television service and other broadcast and Rogers must also report annually on its commitments
television services. The CRTC’s approval only deals with to increase its support for local news, while the
the broadcasting elements of the transaction under the CRTC is imposing safeguards to ensure independent
Broadcasting Act. The wider Rogers-Shaw merger deal programming services are not placed at a disadvantage
– agreed in March 2021 – must still gain approvals when negotiating with Rogers. For instance, Rogers
from Innovation, Science and Economic Development must distribute at least 45 independent English and
Canada (ISED) under the Radiocommunication Act and French-language services on each of its cable and
the Competition Bureau under the Competition Act. satellite services.
The CRTC has also required Rogers to pay five times (March 25, 2022) commsupdate.com
more in benefits to the broadcasting system than it had

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