Page 125 - SAMENA Trends - May 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

promised it will support the delivery of universal, hardest to reach parts of the country. It also pledged to
decent broadband services, setting out funding rules in work with industry to support a managed retirement of
Q1 and further assessing the reach of services in Q3. services that rely on older copper networks.
It will work with the government to bring fiber to the (May 4, 2020) fibre-systems.com

The FCC is voting June 9 on final auction procedures for soon as possible. That’s one reason why we’re moving
handing out billions in rural broadband funding ASAP, full speed ahead with the Rural Digital Opportunity
with FCC Chair Ajit Pai signaling that is one reason that Fund.” (May 18, 2020) multichannel.com
the FCC needs to push money out before it completes
United a separate proceeding for better identifying where The US’ telecoms regulatory body, the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC), has extended its
broadband is and isn't. Pai said he has circulated a
States draft for those final procedures to his colleagues. Keep America Connected initiative through to the end
In August 2019, the FCC voted to propose handing of June, according to a statement by its chairman. A
out over $20 billion in Universal Service Fund (USF) central pillar of the Keep America Connected initiative
subsidies for rural broadband over the next decade, is the idea that telcos should not disconnect any
money that could go to cable broadband providers as customers from services due to nonpayment of bills
well as telecoms. The first phase of the program will during the Coronavirus outbreak. FCC Chairman Ajit
hand out $16 billion for census tracks where there is Pai said that the move was necessary to ensure that
no service. In the second, $4.4 billion, plus whatever millions of Americans retained access to connectivity
money is left over from phase one, will be available for during the current COVID 19 pandemic. As part of the
building out partially served census tracts. The FCC initiative, US telcos agreed not to terminate service to
has taken some criticism for handing out the $16 billion any residential or small business customers because
before it collects better broadband availability data, of their inability to pay their bills due to the disruptions
but Pai has pointed out that while the FCC concedes it caused by the coronavirus pandemic; to waive any late
needs better data that is generally for areas that might fees that any residential or small business customers
show service where there is none not where the data incur because of their economic circumstances related
shows there is no service. He also points out that, in to the coronavirus pandemic; and to open their Wi-Fi
the wake of COVID-19, getting that broadband out hotspots to any American who needs them. “Hundreds
to unserved rural areas ASAP is a priority. The Rural of providers have stepped up to the plate to keep
Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) will be allocated via Americans connected to communications services in
a two-phase, reverse, descending clock, auction. That this time of need,” said Chairman Pai. “This includes
means carriers will bid on the right to use the funds to the largest and some of the smallest providers across
build out broadband and voice to unserved high-cost the country. I salute them for making broadband
areas, which are generally rural areas, low bid wins. available to Americans who increasingly rely on it for
The auction is scheduled to begin Oct. 29. “Closing work, school, healthcare, and communicating with
the digital divide is my top priority as Chairman, and loved ones. And given our nation’s current situation,
this auction is our boldest step yet to ensure that I’m urging these companies to extend these important
broadband is available to all Americans,” said Pai in offerings—uninterrupted service, waiving of late fees,
announcing the item's circulation. “We’ve designed this and continued availability of Wi-Fi hotspots—until
auction to ensure robust participation, with incentives June 30. Companies representing the vast majority of
for bidders to build high-performance networks so we broadband and telephone subscriptions have already
get fast broadband to as many as six million American agreed to this extension. I thank them for stepping up
homes and business that aren’t currently connected. to the plate once again during this national emergency,
The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for the and I encourage others to do so as well,” said Chairman
Commission to continue its work to ensure that all Pai.
Americans have access to high-speed broadband as (May 3, 2020) commsmea.com

Fitch Solutions predicted operators in Vietnam would introduced as early as the middle of this year, after
quickly move to 5G, because the government had trials which commenced in May 2019. It expects the
prioritized the technology and the nation sports government to boost backing for the technology by
mature handset manufacturing capabilities which creating test beds or through enterprise grants. Fitch
Vietnam offers advantages around device costs. In a report, Solutions noted potential delays to launches due
the company stated commercial services could be
to COVID-19 (coronavirus), as operators reduce 5G

125 MAY 2020