Page 126 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

REGULATORY ACTIVITIES BEYOND

THE SAMENA REGION

Lebanese-backed telecoms group Africell Holding has tender, twelve companies had made approaches,
been invited by the government of Angola to submit a including Bharti Airtel, Maroc Telecom, Telkom South
formal technical and financial proposal in its bid for Africa, Orange Group, Vodafone Group and others.
the country’s fourth Unified Global operating license, Angola’s mobile market is currently a duopoly of Unitel
Angola permitting infrastructure-based mobile, internet, fixed and Movicel, while state-backed fixed line operator
telephony and pay-TV services. The Interministerial Angola Telecom holds the third Unified Global license
Working Group overseeing the bidding process and is planning a mobile launch in partnership with
disclosed that two other companies registered an Egyptian-backed Angorascom. The Africell group
interest in the fourth license, namely South Africa’s MTN operates mobile networks in Gambia, Sierra Leone,
Group and Angola’s BAI Investments, but only Africell Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, and also
chose to formalize a bid, news agency Lusa reported. provides internet, pay-TV and mobile money services.
In the preliminary stages of Angola’s fourth license (March 4, 2020) commsupdate.com

The Australian Competition and Consumer by the judge. Commenting, ACCC Chairman Rod Sims
Commission (ACCC) has confirmed that it will not said: ‘The ACCC remains disappointed by this outcome,
appeal the Federal Court’s recent decision that the which has closed the door on what we consider was a
proposed merger between TPG Telecom and Vodafone once in a generation chance for increased competition
Australia Hutchison Australia can move forward on the grounds in the highly concentrated mobile telecommunications
that it would not substantially lessen competition. In a market … The future state of competition without a
press release regarding the matter, the ACCC said that, merger is uncertain. But we know that competition
having examined the court’s ruling, it has concluded is lost when incumbents acquire innovative new
that it does not have grounds for appeal, which it noted competitors.’
would have required that it establish an error of law (March 5, 2020) commsupdate.com

The Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and bands was expected to take place in April but will now
Telecommunications (Rundfunk und Telekom be rescheduled for a later date. Last year the regulator
Regulierungs, RTR) has delayed its upcoming concluded a 5G auction for regional spectrum in the
second 5G auction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 3400MHz-3800MHz range.
Austria Der Standard reports. The allocation of licenses for (March 27, 2020) commsupdate.com
frequencies in the 700MHz, 1500MHz and 2100MHz

Telecoms regulator the Belgian Institute for Postal deploy a national network, has been set at EUR15.01
Services and Telecommunications (BIPT) has extended million (USD16.2 million). Existing license holders
the deadline for applications for the remaining in the band are excluded due to the spectrum cap of
spectrum in the 2600MHz frequency band until 10am 2×20MHz. (March 20, 2020) commsupdate.com
Belgium on 15 May 2020. The decision has been taken in
response to recent measures to prevent the spread Telecoms regulator the Belgian Institute for Postal
of the coronavirus. The BIPT announced plans in Services and Telecommunications (BIPT) has
February to auction 2×15MHz of unassigned 2600MHz announced the five applicants being considered for
spectrum (2520MHz-2535MHz/2640MHz-2655MHz) temporary 5G licenses available in the 3.6GHz-3.8GHz
in response to a request for a license in the band from band. With 200MHz of frequencies available in the
an unnamed company (later identified as Citymesh), 3.4GHz-3.6GHz band, the BIPT proposes assigning
as well as increasing market demand for spectrum. 40MHz each to Telenet, Proximus, Orange Belgium,
The minimum price for the 15-year license, which will Flemish IT services provider Cegeka and B2B telecoms
be valid from 2020 to 2035 and enable the holder to network operator Entropia, which would hold the

126 MARCH 2020