Page 111 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

UK Operators Finalize £1B Rural Network Plan

The UK government announced an agreement had been reached Spectrum Limited, which they will all share, read the statement. As
between the country’s four major operators to push ahead with a per the terms of the initiative outlined in October 2019, the UK’s
£1 billion Shared Rural Network (SRN), despite a spat over payment operators pledged to invest £530 million to address the country’s
terms which threatened to scupper the plan. In a statement, the coverage gaps, while the government would investment an
government said bosses from the operators and ministers would additional £500 million. The plan forms part of the government’s
meet to sign the agreement today (9 March) for SRN, which was ambition to improve digital infrastructure, as well as implementing
first unveiled in October 2019 and aims to bring 4G coverage to new legislation for telecoms operators to improve broadband
95 per cent of the UK by the end of 2025. EE, O2 UK, 3 UK and services in commercial areas. Today’s announcement suggests
Vodafone UK will invest in new and existing phone masts to boost it is all systems go with the SRN, however there were some
rural coverage, overseen by jointly-owned company Digital Mobile bumps in the road along the way. EE’s parent BT submitted a cost
proposal in January for sharing its telecoms infrastructure with
the country’s three other operators, arguing its prior investments
must be accounted for and respected. In its proposal, it outlined
the reciprocal costs it felt it should be paid to get access to one
another’s sites, based on the value of its mobile sites today and
the investments it made to get the sites up and running. There
was no mention of BT’s pricing proposal in the government’s
statement, however UK newspaper CityAM reported the tie-up
could now be a watered-down version of the original agreement.
The newspaper’s sources said the agreement will see only O2,
Vodafone and 3 build new masts in some areas, with BT operating
its own equipment.

Dish Lends Spectrum to AT&T during Crisis

AT&T became the third US operator to get company was “proud to join forces with to increase capacity to match higher
a spectrum boost from Dish Network, as AT&T to achieve a common, critical goal: demand for telehealth and homeworking
the Federal Communications Commission supporting the connectivity needs of services. Verizon will also temporarily
(FCC) cleared the broadcaster to loan a Americans during this challenging time”. benefit from spectrum connected to Dish
portion of its holdings to aid the operator’s AT&T told Mobile World Live earlier this Network, albeit indirectly, after partnering
response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) week its network was still performing well, with Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless
pandemic. The deal will give AT&T but did not say at the time whether it would License to gain access to the AWS-3 band.
immediate access to 20MHz of spectrum seek a spectrum boost. Late last week, Dish Network holds an interest in both
in the AWS-4 band, along with all of Dish Dish Network was one of several broadcast companies and formerly used them as
Network’s 700MHz holdings for 60 days. companies the FCC cleared T-Mobile US to designated entities to bid in an auction of
Jeff Blum, Dish Network SVP of public tap for additional spectrum in the 600MHz AWS-3 spectrum in 2015.
policy and government affairs, stated the band, a 60-day deal enabling the operator

K-Net and Liberian Regulator Delivering Rural Towers

The Liberia Telecommunications Authority has commenced the deployment of towers is gradually becoming an easy one as a
(LTA) has partnered with tower firm K-Net for mobile services in Parluken District team from the [regulator] and K-NET are
to deliver connectivity to one of the #2, Grand Kru County. The infrastructure now in Parluken to set up the first towers.”
country’s more remote regions. Officials will eventually be used by both of Liberia’s LTA spokesperson Jarsea Burphy said that
from the regulator and K-Net have signed mobile network operators, Lonestar the initiative had made temporary Wi-Fi
a MoU (memorandum of understanding) Cell-MTN and Orange Liberia. A release services available in the district for the
detailing their commitments under the issued by the LTA read: “The issue about first time, meaning that many residents
agreement. The Daily Observer reported communication in the remotest part of were enjoying their first ever access to the
that K-Net won the contract by delivering Liberia is…alarming and disheartening but internet.
a compelling proof of concept. The LTA the case with Parluken, Grand Kru County

111 MARCH 2020