Page 118 - SAMENA Trends - May-June 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

EC Approves Italy’s EUR2bn Subsidized 5G Rollout

The EC has approved, under EU state aid infrastructure to connect more than
rules, a EUR2 billion (USD2.15 billion) 10,000 existing mobile tower sites and the
scheme by the Italian government to roll construction of new 5G sites in over 2,000
out 5G mobile networks in underserved locations. EC competition policy maker
areas of the country. Authorities in Rome Margrethe Vestager said: ‘This EUR2 billion
are holding a series of tenders to find Italian scheme, entirely funded via the
partners for state-subsidized deployments RRF [Recovery and Resilience Facility], will
to offer mobile data speeds of at least support the deployment of high performing
150Mbps across Italy by June 2026. The 5G mobile networks. This will enable
contracts, which will see the government consumers and business to access high the EU’s strategic objectives relating to the
providing up to 90% of the rollout costs, quality 5G services, contributing to the digital transition.’
call for the installation of fiber-optic economic growth of the country and to

ARTP Adjusts QoS Penalties Imposed on Operators

Posts (L’Autorite de Regulation des Tele- XOF20 billion before the end of 2023, Saga
communications et des Postes, ARTP) has Africa Holdings (initially XOF2.258 billion)
reduced the fines imposed on the country’s will pay a XOF436.5 million fine and invest
three mobile network operators – Sonatel XOF1.7 billion, while Expresso (XOF1.028
(Orange Senegal), Free (Saga Africa Hold- billion) will pay XOF192 million and invest
ings) and Expresso Senegal – last Decem- XOF1.19 billion. To ensure the companies
ber for quality of service (QoS) failings. In honor their commitments, the ARTP will im-
order to ensure increased network invest- plement a monitoring and control system
ment, however, the companies are now re- which will be financed by the telcos. The
quired to earmark additional funds, not al- regulator notes the new sanctions and con-
ready provided for in their current plans, to ditions imposed on the MNOs will ‘compel
improve coverage and service quality. Sona- them to substantially increase investments
tel, which was originally fined XOF16.727 in network modernization and perfor-
billion (USD27.5 million), will now be re- mance, with a view to satisfying the needs
Following an appeal, Senegal’s Regulation quired to pay a sanction of XOF2.51 bil- and interests of all consumers, irrespective
Authority for Telecommunications and lion and undertake to invest an additional of their geographical location’.

Vodafone NZ, Commerce Commission Both Appeal Fine

Vodafone New Zealand and the Commerce ing a NZD5.8 million penalty. Commerce ment. ‘Our appeal will set out our strong
Commission have both said they will appeal Commission Chair Anna Rawlings said in a belief that there are several errors with
a NZD2.25 million (USD1.4 million) fine im- statement that the regulator will argue the the original conviction decision and that
posed on the telco for its historic marketing fine did not appropriately reflect the seri- there are aspects of the FibreX judgment
of ‘FibreX’ branded HFC fixed broadband ousness of the offending, and the size and that simply misunderstand the services
services between 2016 and 2018. Voda- financial resources of Vodafone. The reg- we sell and are not in the best interests of
fone was found guilty in April of conduct ulator will also argue that Vodafone’s con- consumers or future competition’. Describ-
liable to mislead consumers into believing duct was wilful rather than grossly careless ing the HFC service offered in Wellington,
that FibreX was a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and allowed Vodafone to make significant Kapiti and Christchurch as a ‘well-perform-
connection. Vodafone also pleaded guilty commercial gains. ‘The fines imposed for ing, price-competitive product’, the telco
to charges relating to its online address this type of offending must be significant noted the Commission’s latest broadband
checker, which suggested to consumers enough to deter Vodafone and other large measurement report found HFC Max plans
that FibreX was the only available broad- businesses from engaging in this type of were able to support four simultaneous
band service at their address. Charges conduct in the future,’ she stressed. ‘We UHD Netflix streams, offering an equivalent
were brought under the Fair Trading Act are very disappointed with the outcome experience to FTTH plans in this respect.
and the telco faced potential fines of up to and respectfully disagree with the court’s
NZD16 million, with the Commission seek- decisions,’ Vodafone NZ said in a state-
118 MAY-JUNE 2022