Page 142 - SAMENA Trends - March-April 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

emphasizing it provided an “opportunity to fill in some date, the FCC says that the RDOF program has provided
of the critical 5G gaps in rural America”. The sale will USD4.7 billion in funding to nearly 300 ISPs for new
commence less than nine months after operators deployments in 47 states, extending broadband to
pledged to spend around $22 billion on licenses in the almost 2.7 million locations. (March 15, 2022) commsupdate.com
3.45GHz to 3.5GHz range, in a sale lauded as being one
of the highest grossing in the country’s history. Speaking at the Mobile World Congress 2022 event in
(March 22, 2022) mobileworldlive.com Barcelona, Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced that
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has the US watchdog expects to stage its next 5G-suitable
announced that it is ready to authorize more than spectrum auction in July this year. She told delegates:
USD640 million through the Rural Digital Opportunity ‘Now for the big reveal. I’m excited to announce today
Fund (RDOF) to fund new broadband deployments in that the United States will hold another mid-band
26 states, which will bring service to nearly 250,000 spectrum auction. This July we will kick off our auction
locations. TeleGeography notes that the majority of of the 2.5GHz band. This is the single largest swath of
the companies that will receive funding at this stage contiguous mid-band spectrum we have below 3GHz
are smaller regional operators, although the likes of and the airwaves available in this auction are going
Windstream, Frontier Communications and Atlantic to help extend 5G service beyond our most populated
Broadband are all on the FCC’s list of winning bidders. areas. Then, no rest for the weary, we will turn our sights
According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, to working with our federal partners to open up the next
the RDOF Phase I auction (Auction 904) commenced tranche of mid-band spectrum in the 3.1GHz-3.45GHz
on 29 October 2020, having attracted a total of 386 band.’ Intriguingly, Ms. Rosenworcel also suggested
qualified bidders. In the event, the regulator awarded that the US is ready to lay the groundwork to support
a total of USD9.2 billion in funding to 180 bidders. A its future 6G agenda. She noted: ‘In fact, I believe for 6G
total of 5.2 million unserved homes and businesses – we need to start planning now to identify spectrum in
around 99% of the locations included in the auction – the 7GHz-15GHz range that can support faster speeds
will gain access to high speed internet services as a and wider coverage. I also believe it’s not too early to
result. This includes rural Americans in 49 states and harmonize these efforts across the world.’
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. To (March 2, 2022) commsupdate.com

Uruguay has held a referendum on whether or not approved in July 2020, covers matters including public
to partially repeal Law 19,889/2020 (‘Law of Urgent safety, national security, housing, education, labor
Consideration’), including an article which paved the rights, financial matters and also declares that number
way for the introduction of mobile number portability portability is a right of users of mobile telephony
(MNP) earlier this year. Over 1.087 million people services. However, the law’s critics have described it
Uruguay voted against repealing a total of 135 articles of the as unconstitutional and undemocratic.
controversial law, compared to more than 1.065 million (March 30, 2022) TeleSemana
who voted for the move. Law 19,889/2020, which was

The Ministry of Information and Communications end-2022. Considering mobile broadband penetration
(MIC) set an ambitious goal to significantly boost rose 4 percentage points year-on-year in 2021, hitting
mobile broadband penetration and ensure every adult the 28-percentage point target would be an impressive
owns a smartphone. Deputy Minister of Information achievement. The country ended 2021 with 70.9 million
Vietnam and Communications Pham Duc Long, speaking at broadband subscribers, MIC stated. Data from GSMA
Intelligence showed 78 per cent of mobile users had
the World Mobile Broadband and ICT Summit 2022
in Hanoi, reportedly said the government aimed to smartphones at end-2021. The country of 97 million
increase the number of mobile broadband subscribers people had 156 million mobile connections, including
from 57 per cent of total users in 2021 to 85 per cent by 42.9 million LTE. (March 10, 2022) Vietnam News Agency

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