Page 104 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

REGULATORY NEWS

TRA Extends the Validity of Wireless Authorizations of Hospitals

Telecommunications Regulatory Authority,
TRA, stated that it has extended the
validity of all wireless authorizations of
hospitals and medical centers across
the country, regardless of the expiry date
of the authorization. In a statement, the
announcement came as part of the TRA’s
efforts to support the precautionary
measures taken by the UAE health sector
in the current circumstances. The authority
also announced that it has provided a
package of backup radio frequencies
to support the wireless communication
system in the health sector in the UAE, so
that it can be allocated immediately upon
request without the need to pre-pay the
fees required to complete the transaction.
TRA assured that the spectrum monitoring
system works around the clock to limit any
harmful wireless interference that impedes
the work of vital services. Also, hospitals
and medical centers will be given priority
in the event of jamming or interference
affecting their devices or causing delay
or disruption of their work, in order to
strengthen and support the precautionary
measures taken by the UAE to protect
society and preserve the health of citizens
and residents.

DoT Drafting Crisis Plan for Potential Collapse of Major Telco

India’s Department of Telecommunications October decision that it would be forced player collapse, the sudden migration of
(DoT) is preparing a crisis plan to cater to to shut down if there were no relief their customers to the surviving players
the millions of customers and businesses measures from the government. Vodafone would overload the systems in place to
that would be affected if any of the Idea was able to scrape together a total port users. Vodafone Idea currently serves
country’s major providers collapses, the of INR68.5 billion before the most recent over 300 million mobile customers, whilst
Economic Times writes. The development Supreme Court hearing this week, but Airtel’s subscriber count was 283 million
follows a decision by the Supreme Court the DoT’s estimates put the company’s at end-December 2019. Commenting
earlier this week to reject potential relief AGR bill at around INR530 billion. Bharti on the situation an unnamed senior
measures that would have helped the Airtel, meanwhile, has weathered the official was quoted as saying that ‘none
already financially stressed industry cope recent storm comparatively well but may of the operators will have the capacity to
with the burden of the roughly INR1.47 nevertheless struggle to raise the rest suddenly handle such a large influx. There
trillion (USD19.5 billion) in Adjusted Gross of the approximately INR356 billion the will be chaos if a contingency plan is not
Revenue (AGR)-related dues imposed by government claims it is owed. Airtel has so worked out.’
the same court in October 2019. Vodafone far paid INR180 billion, which it claimed was
Idea has consistently warned since the the ‘full and final’ amount. Should either

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