Page 137 - SAMENA Trends - May-June 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

trio hold spectrum that is not being put to effective a series of meetings over the next two weeks to agree
use and the additional capacity from the airwaves will on a value for the spectrum holdings and a fair price
be of growing importance as more users migrate to for the change of the concession. Once this has been
5G services. Mr. Araya went on to say that to address completed, Subtel must take the matter to the Antitrust
the matter quickly and without impacting competition, Tribunal (Tribunal de Defensa de la Libre Competencia,
the older concessions should be upgraded to permit TDLC) as an earlier ruling on the matter from the body
the use of the spectrum for mobile services. To that mandated that 3.5GHz spectrum be allocated via a
end, executives from the six companies along with public tender.
regulatory officials and other experts are set to conduct (May 26, 2022) commsupdate.com

The Communications Regulatory Commission as the government seeks to incentivize companies to
(Comision de Regulacion de Comunicaciones, CRC) extend their networks beyond their existing footprints.
has relaxed a number of regulatory conditions relating A total of 479 ISPs that serve 1,012 municipalities are
to rural network rollouts, as it seeks to encourage eligible for the scheme and the watchdog notes that
Colombia regional ISPs to expand their services to hard-to-reach the initiative could ultimately benefit as many as 5.8
parts of the country. Via Resolution No. 6755, ISPs million people. The CRC notes that the Resolution is
that serve fewer than 30,000 subscriptions and target in accordance with Law 2108 of 2021, which declared
‘rural, remote and difficult to access areas’ are no longer internet access to be an essential public service in
obliged to follow sector guidelines relating to user Colombia.
service, compensation and measurement indicators, (May 31, 2022) commsupdate.com

Congolese business organization the Federation of dollars’. As such, the FEC said, operators would be
Companies of Congo (La Federation des enterprises obliged to adjust prices to integrate the new charges
du Congo, FEC) has issued a statement clarifying its into their price structures. The body goes on to argue
position regarding price hikes in the mobile segment, that operators are permitted to increase prices, as the
Congo after industry watchdog Regulatory Authority of Post law requires that tariffs are oriented towards costs.
and Telecommunications (Autorite de Regulation Consequently, the FEC considers it: ‘inadmissible for the
des Postes et Telecom, ARPTC) warned that it had government to set up new taxes in favour of the ARPTC
not approved any such price increases. The FEC to remunerate its services on the one hand and does
had claimed that increases in taxation on the sector not accept to assume the logical consequence of a
would result in higher prices for consumers. The subsequent increase in the prices of these new charges
ARPTC responded by dismissing the reports as false, on the other side.’ In a related development, Bloomberg
stating that no tariff increases had been approved and cites people with knowledge of the matter as saying
warning that any provider illegally raising prices would that the nation’s four main cellcos – Vodacom Congo,
be severely sanctioned. Explaining the matter in more Orange DRC, Airtel DRC and Africell – had been issued
detail, the FEC notes that its original claims were with the regulator’s invoices through consulting firm 5C
regards to taxes levied on providers on calls, messages Energy. The quartet reportedly rejected the notices as
and internet use that were introduced in March and ‘irregular and therefore unenforceable’ and are refusing
April this year. According to the FEC the invoices issued to pay the demands. The new taxes are expected to
to the providers for the period from 24 March to mid- cost providers around USD180 million per year.
May 2022 represents ‘several tens of millions of US (June 13, 2022) commsupdate.co

The Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Institu- dissuaded the country’s cellcos to bid on the spectrum.
to Dominicano de las Telecomunicaciones, Indotel) is As such, the licensing terms will now be revised before
hoping to relaunch its failed auction of 700MHz spec- a sale is relaunched. Nine 2×5MHz blocks of 700MHz
trum, news reports, citing comments made by Executive spectrum were included in the original tender. In Octo-
Dominican Director Julissa Cruz during last week’s Latin America ber 2021 Indotel announced that its auction of 5G-suit-
able frequencies had generated a total of USD73.789
Digital Symposium. The frequencies were originally in-
Republic cluded in last year’s 5G spectrum auction, alongside million. Claro Dominicana submitted the largest bid,
3.5GHz airwaves, but failed to attract any bids. Ms. offering USD53.111 million for a 70MHz block of spec-
Cruz admitted that the obligation to offer local roam- trum in the 3.3GHz-3.4GHz band. Altice Dominicana,
ing access to rival operators not in possession of low- meanwhile, paid USD20.678 million for a 70MHz block
band spectrum for three years was the key factor that of 3.4GHz-3.5GHz spectrum. (June 8, 2022) BNAmericas

137 MAY-JUNE 2022