Page 111 - SAMENA Trends - May-June 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Chair. “Broadband Commissioners have a unique awareness of also highlighted the new Call to Action: My Digital Future,
this. We have a unique capacity to lead change, through innovation, presented by Generation Connect Visionaries Board members as
investment, advocacy and partnership." This latest Commission an outcome of the first-ever Generation Connect Youth Summit,
meeting – the first in-person meeting in two years – provided clear calling for inter-generational efforts to build an equitable, inclusive
synergies with WTDC, set to kick off with the theme of “Connecting digital future. A video, Broadband Transforming Lives, addressed
the unconnected to achieve sustainable development". Doreen Broadband Commission Advocacy Target 4 on digital skills for
Bogdan-Martin, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development youth and adults, highlighting the work of young changemakers
Bureau and the Commission's Executive Director, emphasized who are embracing technology to make a positive impact on their
the urgent need for strong partnerships to step up connectivity. communities. These voices of the younger generation, together
"In alignment with the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition, the with Commissioners' input, will be conveyed to the upcoming UN
UN Secretary General's Roadmap for Digital Cooperation and Transforming Education Summit 2022, which aims to shape the
the 2030 Common Agenda, the Commission will leverage the future of education and learning. Commissioners also reported on
strength of its membership and collective expertise to advocate the progress of the Commission's four current Working Groups:
for meaningful, safe, secure, and sustainable broadband Virtual Health & Care; Smartphone Access; Data for Learning; and
communications services," she said. The Broadband Commission AI Capacity Building. A preview of the forthcoming report of the
made an advocacy pledge to the ITU Partner2Connect Digital Working Group on The Future of Virtual Health and Care, co-chaired
Coalition to help reach inclusive universal connectivity, through by Dr Ann Aerts, Head of the Novartis Foundation, and the World
policy recommendations addressing broadband policy, access, Health Organization, emphasized the need for sound stewardship
affordability, use and skills and the advocacy actions to realize of the global explosion in virtual health triggered by the COVID-19
2025 Broadband Advocacy Targets. Pledges were also received pandemic, to ensure it drives equitable health access and does not
by 16 Broadband Commissioners and their entities. The meeting exacerbate existing health inequities.

Russian Operators Begin Charging Users for SIM Cards

Russia’s major mobile operators have begun charging fees for 1 August, respectively. The report adds that operators attribute
SIM cards when registering new subscriptions, Kommersant the move to an increase in wholesale SIM purchase costs due to
reported. MegaFon, Yota (a brand of MegaFon) and Beeline have enforced changes of suppliers, whilst there is the possibility that
all introduced a per-SIM fee of RUB50 (USD0.92) this month, while prices will increase in the future.
MTS and Tele2 Russia are scheduled to follow suit on 24 June and

Slovak Cellcos Complete 1800MHz Refarming

Mobile operators in Slovakia have completed a reorganization of of spectrum in three parts of the country and 2×15MHz in the
the 1800MHz band which has left all four cellcos with contiguous fourth region. The 1800MHz band was previously fragmented and
holdings, Zive.sk reports. For the purposes of spectrum refarming, the operators agreed a reorganization plan to improve network
the country was split into four areas; each cellco now has 2×20MHz efficiency to support 2G, 4G and 5G services.

PTA Confirms Jazz and Telenor Have Submitted License Fee

Industry watchdog the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority their authorizations were due to expire. Pakistan’s courts eventually
(PTA) has confirmed that mobile providers Telenor Pakistan and sided with the regulator in August 2021 on the basis that the PTA
Jazz have paid a combined total of PKR19.39 billion (USD97.0 has the power to set the license fee as it sees fit. Jazz agreed to
million – although the PTA notes that the fee is equivalent to the PTA’s new terms and renewed its concession in October that
USD98.49 million) towards the third instalment of their respective year whilst Telenor followed suit in December, albeit ‘under protest’
license renewal fees. The pair disputed the cost of the renewal of and maintaining its right to continue its dispute with the PTA. At
their concessions in early 2019 when the PTA provided updated the time of the renewals the PTA said that Jazz and Telenor had
terms for the licenses, including a price increase, just weeks before each paid USD333.6 million of the USD449.2 million fee.

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