Page 124 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

REGULATORY ACTIVITIES BEYOND

THE SAMENA REGION

Applications for pre-qualification in Angola’s public confirmed that from the first quarter of 2020 interested
tender for the assignment of a fourth Unified Global parties may apply for new ‘Multi-Service’ operating
license – permitting mobile and fixed voice/data plus licenses, which can cover various services potentially
TV services – are due by 22 January 2020 after the including fixed telephony, fixed internet, cable/satellite
Angola deadline was extended for a second time. The telecoms TV or mobile voice/data (dependent on availability of
regulator, Angolan Institute of Communications spectrum and other resources). As reported by media,
(INACOM), said in its announcement published in prospective licensees can apply via the government’s
state newspaper Jornal de Angola on Monday that Public Electronic Services Portal. Multi-Service
the extension was made to ‘provide greater flexibility licensing is separate from Angola’s in-progress
for the presentation of applications’. The government tender for a fourth ‘Unified Global’ license permitting
launched the tender on 30 September 2019, initially mobile and fixed voice/internet plus TV services –
giving interested parties until 8 November to submit applications for which are due by 22 January 2020, as
applications, before extending the deadline to 8 previously reported. Mr Augusto also stated this week
December, with a Ministry of Finance source claiming that the Ministry of Telecommunications & Information
the initial extension was requested by prospective Technologies will disclose the Unified Global
international bidders. In a second phase, qualified applicants immediately after the deadline. The existing
candidates will submit their full technical and financial Unified Global licensees are cellcos Unitel and Movicel,
proposals within 60 days for consideration by an alongside Angola Telecom which is in the process of
evaluation committee. The government is looking deploying mobile infrastructure and developing mobile
to introduce further competition to existing mobile services with new partner company Angorascom.
operators Unitel and Movicel, and fixed operator The INACOM chairman also announced on Tuesday
Angola Telecom (AT) which holds the third Unified (17 December 2019) that Angola has reached 14
Global license and is in the process of deploying its million mobile network users, seven million of which
own cellular network, whilst Angorascom (associated use mobile internet, Mercado reported. According to
with Egyptian tycoon Naguib Sawiris) was last month TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, the top-
handed permission to partner AT in developing mobile level mobile figure was estimated at 13.77 million at
services, with a launch expected by February 2021. A end-September 2019, up from 13.29 million reported
previous license award – to local start-up Telstar – by INACOM at end-2018, whilst the mobile internet
was annulled by Angola’s President Joao Lourenco in (2.5G, 3G and 4G) total rose from 5.82 million at end-
April 2019 citing ‘non-compliance with the terms of the 2018. With the current national mobile penetration rate
procedure’.(December 11, 2109) commsupdate.com not quite reaching 50%, however, Mr. Augusto declared
that the sector needed continual new investment to
The Chairman of the Angolan Institute of serve more of the population.
Communications (INACOM), Leonel Augusto, has (December 20, 2109) Jornal de Angola

Action is being taken against eleven telecoms providers of transferring a consumer’s service without their
for failing to comply with consumer protection rules, consent is particularly troubling … At no point did the
the Australian Communications and Media Authority consumer consent to having their service transferred.
(ACMA) has announced. In a press release regarding This transfer should simply not have occurred.’
Australia the matter, the regulator specifically noted that M2 Meanwhile, in separate investigations a further ten
Commander has been issued with a formal warning for telcos were found to have breached the TCP Code by
transferring a consumer’s service from another telco failing to lodge annual compliance statements with
without their consent. It said this transfer followed independent monitoring group, Communications
an unsolicited phone call to the consumer from an Compliance. The operators were named as: CNS
M2 Commander sales agent. According to ACMA Group Australia, Exetel, Novel Telecom, Real Sim, Red
Chairperson Nerida O’Loughlin, the breaches fall under Broadband, Simply NBN, Telco4U, Trikon, Uniti Wireless
the Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) and Voiteck. With the ACMA having now officially
Code, and the executive was cited as saying: ‘The case directed these providers to submit annual compliance

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