Page 115 - SAMENA Trends - May 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

REGULATORY ACTIVITIES BEYOND

THE SAMENA REGION

Angola’s government added a third mobile operator Africell’s head Ziad Dalloul in 2019 revealed the
to the mix with the award of an operating license company had $300 million at its disposal to fund an
to Africell. The move comes after President Joao entry into Angola, The newly awarded license brings the
Lourenco revoked a decision from April 2019 giving number of Africell markets to five, adding to its current
Angola operating rights to domestic company Telstar operations in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),
Telecomunicacoes, due to concerns around its ability Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Uganda. Angola’s mobile
to meet bidding conditions. In March, the country’s market is currently dominated by Unitel and Movicel,
Ministry of Finance said MTN Group, Africell and Banco which GSMA Intelligence figures show had 10.9 million
Angolano de Investimentos (BAI) had acquired tender and 3.7 million connections respectively at end-Q1.
documents, but only Africell submitted its application. (May 20, 2020) Agence France-Presse (AFP)

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional such, it said that a reconfiguration of the bands would
Development and Communications (DITRDC) has support the deployment of 4G and 5G networks and
published policy objectives which it said are intended enable more efficient use of the spectrum, while it
to ‘help guide decision making for the proposed also pointed to the fact that lower-band spectrum ‘is
Australia allocation of the [850MHz and 900MHz] bands, which important for broader 4G and 5G coverage, including
are pivotal to the delivery of mobile services across in regional Australia, and will complement holdings of
Australia’. With the Australian Communications 5G-suitable mid and high-band spectrum’. Meanwhile,
and Media Authority (ACMA) having previously the other four communications policy objectives were
proposed to optimize and allocate frequencies in the listed as: promoting competitive market outcomes
aforementioned bands using a ‘market-based process’ for the long-term benefit of consumers; encouraging
in Q4 2021, the DITRDC has listed five policy objectives, investment in telecommunications infrastructure,
noting: ‘In some cases, different objectives may need including in regional Australia; supporting continuity
to be balanced against each other, or require trade- of services, and; supporting a national Public Safety
offs to be made.’ Of the five policy objectives, the Mobile Broadband (PSMB) capability. For its part, the
most notable is ‘supporting the deployment of 4G and ACMA is expected to begin consulting on its plans for
5G technologies’, with the DITRDC highlighting the the 850MHz and 900MHz bands ‘soon’.
fact that, at present, the 850MHz and 900MHz bands (May 11, 2020) commsupdate.com
are not properly optimized for 4G or 5G services. As

The Telecom Control Commission (TKK) has TKK and the Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and
announced it plans to hold the country’s second 5G Telecommunications (RTR) concluded a 5G auction for
auction in August, after the process was postponed in regional spectrum in the 3400MHz-3800MHz range,
March by the COVID-19 pandemic. The regulator said with the allocation of licenses for frequencies in the
Austria it will ‘take all necessary precautions to ensure that 700MHz, 1500MHz and 2100MHz bands originally
the auction can be carried out properly’. Last year the expected to take place in April. (May 14, 2020) commsupdate.com

Telecoms regulator the Belgian Institute for Postal Ser- and covering the entire country. The minimum price per
vices and Telecommunications (BIPT) has announced license, which is not subject to specific coverage condi-
that only Citymesh has submitted an application for the tions, is EUR15.01 million (USD16.4 million). A spectrum
remaining free spectrum in the 2600MHz band. In Feb- cap of 2×20MHz meant Orange Belgium, Proximus and
Belgium ruary, the BIPT invited interested parties to sign up for an Telenet, which already hold licenses in the band, were ex-
auction before 23 March, although the deadline was lat- cluded from the auction. Citymesh already has user rights
er extended to 15 May following the COVID-19 outbreak. in the 3.4GHz-3.6GHz band and has been mainly active
Only one license is available, comprising 2×15MHz of in the B2B sector, some industrial areas of Flanders and
spectrum valid for a period of 15 years from 2020 to 2035 wind farms in the North Sea. (May 20, 2020) commsupdate.com
115 MAY 2020