Page 132 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

number of frequencies requested per band to allow line with EU agreements, the Netherlands intends to
bidders to better determine what they want to offer carry out the multi-band auction before 30 June 2020.
themselves. Initial applications must be accompanied The government is targeting a 3.5GHz 5G frequency
by a bank guarantee/deposit of EUR35.28 million. In auction in early 2022. (March 9, 2020) commsupdate.com

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) commission’s effort in this regard is in line with one
has deactivated around 2.2 million partially or of the key agendas of President Muhammadu Buhari
incorrectly registered SIM cards, reports This Day. to strengthen the security of lives and property for all
Nigeria ‘By our records, all improperly registered SIM cards Nigerians.’ The move followed an audit of SIM cards
across mobile network operators in Nigeria have
and the implementation of a ministerial directive on SIM
been completely deactivated,’ commented the NCC’s registration in September last year, aimed at improving
Executive Vice Chairman, Umar Danbatta, adding: ‘The security in the country. (March 9, 2020) commsupdate.com

The National Communications Authority (Nasjonal considering taking part in the sale process have the
kommunikasjonsmyndighet, Nkom) has disclosed the same information, the regulator said it had opted to
identities of those companies that have been approved make public the identities of all registered participants.
to take part in its forthcoming spectrum auction To that end, the Nkom has revealed that a total of six
scheduled to start on 6 May 2020. In a press release, companies have qualified to take part in the auction,
Norway Nkom revealed that, while it would not ordinarily disclose in which it will offer spectrum in the following bands:
the identities of companies that have registered to take low 10GHz, high 10GHz, 13GHz, 18GHz, 23GHz, 28GHz,
part in one of its spectrum auctions, it was doing so 32GHz and 38GHz. The companies set to take part in
on this occasion as some would-be participants had the sale are: Ceragon Networks, Funn, GlobalConnect,
received an automatically generated e-mail which Ice Communication Norge, Telenor Norge and Telia
showed some contact details of all those that had Norge.
applied. As such, and to ensure that all companies (March 31, 2020) commsupdate.com

Poland’s Office of Electronic Communications (Urzad years. The reserve price for each block has been set at
Komunikacji Elektronicznej, UKE) has kicked off PLN450 million (USD118 million). Winning bidders will
its auction of 5G-capable wireless spectrum in the be required to launch 5G in at least one city by the end
3.4GHz-3.8GHz range. Under pre-announced plans, of this year and deploy at least 700 5G base stations
Poland UKE will offer four nationwide licenses which each by 2025 to ensure coverage in every large urban area.
include 80MHz of frequencies and are valid for 15
(March 9, 2020) commsupdate.com

Portugal’s National Communications Authority of the 700MHz band will no longer take place on 30
(Autoridade Nacional de Comunicacoes, ANACOM) has June 2020, as planned. TeleGeography notes that six
announced that it has suspended the digital terrestrial 2×5MHz blocks of 700MHz spectrum were scheduled
television (DTT) migration process to ensure that no one to be included in ANACOM’s multi-band 5G spectrum
Portugal is left without access to a functioning TV signal during auction in 2Q20, alongside frequencies in the 900MHz,
1800MHz, 2100MHz, 2600MHz and 3.6GHz bands.
the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The watchdog says
that the process will resume ‘as soon as conditions (March 17, 2020) commsupdate.com
associated with the pandemic permit’, but the release

In an eleventh hour decision ahead of the expiry of and Telekom Romania Mobile Communications, the
3G spectrum licenses on 31 March, the Romanian licenses of which expire in January 2022, will have
government has approved plans to charge Orange and to pay a fee of EUR25 million before 30 November
Vodafone EUR30 million (USD32.9 million) each, payable 2021 to extend their rights until the end of 2031. The
before the end of the month, to extend their existing renewal prices were first proposed by Romania’s
Romania spectrum management rights in the 2100MHz band National Authority for Management and Regulation in
until 31 December 2031, reports Profit.ro. RCS&RDS Communications (ANCOM) in December 2019. Orange,

132 MARCH 2020