Page 133 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Vodafone and Telekom Romania currently use the ANCOM’s action plan also provides for the drafting
2100MHz band to provide 3G networks and services, of a normative act to transpose into national law the
while RCS&RDS uses it for both 3G and 4G. directive on the establishment of the European Code
(March 27, 2020) commsupdate.com of Electronic Communications, in order to submit it for
adoption in Q1. As part of the ongoing implementation
The National Authority for Management and Regulation of Infrastructure Law No. 159/2016, the regulator
in Communications (ANCOM) intends to organize will also establish orientative tariffs for accessing
an auction of spectrum in the 700MHz, 800MHz, network operators’ poles and approve conditions for
1500MHz, 2600MHz and 3400MHz-3600MHz bands accessing physical infrastructure developed by local
in the final quarter of 2020, according to the body’s public authorities. Furthermore, it intends to review the
newly adopted annual action plan. ANCOM aims wholesale market for infrastructure access services
to finalize the tender documentation by the end of and the market for broadband access services, as
the third quarter and will also organize a market well as revise the authorization regime regarding the
consultation to determine interest in acquiring the provision of electronic communications networks and
frequencies. The auction, which the authority had services. It will also seek to modify ANCOM decision
previously indicated would take place in early 2020, No. 333/2013 regarding the collection of statistical
has been delayed by a security memorandum signed data in the field of electronic communications.
in 2019 between Romania and the US, and new EU (March 4, 2020) commsupdate.com
network security guidelines released in January.

Russia’s State Commission for Radio Frequencies (SCRF) has allocated a 400MHz block of mmWave
(SCRF) has made a draft proposal to issue Mobile 5G spectrum in the 24.25GHz-24.65GHz band for an
TeleSystems (MTS) with 5G test frequencies in the indefinite number of users which may include industrial
key 3.4GHz-3.8GHz spectrum range in Moscow, and enterprises alongside telecoms operators. The
Russia is expected to finalize the decision at its next meeting decision, made at a meeting of the State Committee
on 10 March. The 3.4GHz-3.8GHz test frequencies,
for Emergencies on 17 March 2020, was in response to
alongside 37GHz-40GHz spectrum, will be allocated 5G development interest from large companies gauged
only for three specific locations in the capital (in via a survey from the Ministry of Digital Development,
the vicinity of the Radio Research Institute and two Communications & Mass Media, whilst the ministry
scientific/medical institutions) for assessment of also received expressions of interest from regional
the impact of 5G on the environment, according to governors regarding deployment of 5G pilot zones in
a document obtained by RBC. The planned tests Tomsk, Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk, Krasnoyarsk and
come under the ongoing agreement between MTS Primorsky. The meeting also confirmed that a previous
and Moscow’s Department of IT. Note that to date, proposal for an auction of frequencies in the 25.25GHz-
proposals to free up the 3.4GHz-3.8GHz band for 5G 25.9GHz band is now officially cancelled. The proposed
have been blocked because of security/military usage auction format had involved two regional lots in each
of the range. In 2018 – when Russia hosted the FIFA region of the Russian Federation (with a total of 170
men’s World Cup – MegaFon and Rostelecom were lots), but the process had been criticized as inefficient.
permitted to carry out 3.4GHz-3.8GHz 5G tests at pilot The meeting participants also decided to award a block
zones in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan until the of test 5G mmWave spectrum in the 24.65GHz-27.5GHz
end of that year, but all subsequent applications for band to New Digital Solutions, a joint venture of
new test permits have been refused by the authorities. MegaFon and Rostelecom, for studying 5G capabilities
(March 2, 2010) RBC using domestically-manufactured equipment/systems
in partnership with state corporation Roscosmos.
Russia’s State Commission for Radio Frequencies (March 20, 2020) ComNews

The Independent Communications Authority of the prescribed license renewal fee by the due date
South Africa (ICASA) will extend the validity of will result in expiry of the radio frequency spectrum
existing frequency spectrum licenses by three license immediately on the next calendar day that
months, due to South Africa’s COVID-19 lockdown. marks the beginning of the new financial year. In this
South Africa The communications authority said: ‘In terms of the regard, ICASA has resolved to grant all radio frequency
spectrum license holders an extension to renew their
regulations, the due date for the renewal of radio
frequency spectrum licenses is 31 March annually. licenses by no later than 30 June 2020.’ (March 31,
The regulations further provide that failure to pay 2020) commsupdate.com

133 MARCH 2020