Page 132 - SAMENA Trends - March-April 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications minute from 1 January 2023. Separately, the regulator
in Cote d’Ivoire (Autorite de Regulation des has maintained its April 2021 decision on players with
Telecommunications de Cote d’Ivoire, ARTCI) has set significant market power, which identified Orange and
out mobile and fixed call termination rates for 2022 and MTN in the fixed market, plus Orange, MTN and Moov
Cote d’Ivoire 2023. The per-minute rate dropped from XOF5 to XOF3 in the mobile sector.
at the start of 2022 and will fall further to XOF2 per
(March 8, 2022) commsupdate.com

In the wake of recent comments made by the European address what it considers the main issue. ‘The Czech
Commission (EC) and the Body of European Regulators Telecommunication Office is a regulatory authority, so I
for Electronic Communications (BEREC), the Czech am convinced that prices, which are one of the highest
Telecommunication Office (Cesky telekomunikacni in Europe, must try to influence regulation. The law
Czech urad, CTU) has taken a further look at Market No. 3 – gives us that opportunity. The Council did not consider
it justifiable to ignore it. We hope that the specific
the wholesale market for access to mobile services
Republic and, based upon this, has opted to open a public proposed regulatory packages will contribute to lower
consultation on a new draft analysis including a set prices on the retail market,’ said Hana Tovarkova,
of temporary measures. At the end of last month, the chair of the CTO Council. As such, under its temporary
EC issued a decision requiring the CTU to withdraw measures the CTU still intends to designate the three
its 2021 draft decision relating to wholesale mobile MNOs as having SMP in this market and, furthermore:
access obligations. Whilst the regulator maintains that ‘Proposes to impose two operators’ obligations to
MVNOs are not able to offer competitive services due offer two mobile service regulatory packages in all its
to allegedly unfavorable wholesale access conditions, existing mobile network access agreements (2G, 3G, 4G
and proposed to designate O2, T-Mobile and Vodafone and 5G). The regulation of package prices will take the
as holding significant market power (SMP), and to form of a ban on margin squeezes in combination with
oblige them to provide national roaming to all, the the setting of a maximum wholesale price for regulated
EC had serious doubts as to the compatibility of the packages. All three mobile network operators will be
draft measure with EU law and opened an in-depth obliged to allow access on both packages to non-
investigation. Subsequently, on 24 January 2022 discriminatory conditions, even in the case of newly
BEREC issued its own opinion on the EC’s serious concluded contractual relations with the MVNO. The
doubts, partially supporting the Commission’s initial regulation will be limited in time to 18 months from the
findings. The CTU, however, notes that remedies under effective date of the corrective measures.’
national or EU competition law are not sufficient to (March 8, 2022) commsupdate.com

The Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory competition, and one of them is a newcomer. This
Authority (Tarbijakaitse ja Tehnilise Jarelevalve Amet, shows that companies have a definite interest in the
TTJA) has received four applications for its forthcoming development of the Estonian communications market
auction of three 3.5GHz licenses for 5G services. As and also gives confidence that 5G services will reach
Estonia expected, the three incumbent cellcos – Telia, Elisa the market as soon as possible … Estonian consumers
and Tele2 – have come forward, with the fourth entry can only win from the competition, because this way
coming from Lithuania-based telecoms and media the service will be of higher quality and the prices
firm Bite Group. Bite Group’s activities in Estonia will be more reasonable.’ The public tender for three
currently center on its TV channel TV3 and streaming concessions in the 3410MHz-3800MHz range was
platform Go3, so a successful bid for a 5G license initially announced on 19 February 2019 and then
would bring additional competition to the country’s postponed later that year. Under the new auction terms,
telecoms sector. Andres Suti, Minister of Enterprise the starting price for each license will be EUR1.597
and Information Technology, says having four firms million (USD1.75 million). The TTJA expects to begin
chasing three licenses will be good for consumers: the bidding process towards the end of this month and
‘I am glad that four companies are interested in the for it to be completed by June. (April 6, 2022) commsupdate.com

The Ethiopian Communications Authority has negotiating tower and power-sharing, transmission
announced infrastructure sharing discussions capacity leasing and interconnection between the two.
between Safaricom and state-owned Ethio Telecom Discussions seem to have gone well as the ECA said
have ended, with a launch impending. In a social media they concluded in “good faith” and agreements have
Ethiopia post, the authority detailed the two companies were been reached on all pending issues. Safaricom said
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