Page 125 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

statements to show they are meeting their obligations, services (FOAS and FTAS), and wholesale ADSL. It
they risk facing further action such as fines or court has been suggested that the ACCC’s decision will
proceedings should they fail to do so. Since July effectively mean that wholesale prices for non-NBN
2018, the ACMA has issued 14 directions and seven fixed line services will reduce in real terms over the next
formal warnings to telcos for failing to comply with five years. This decision is expected to be the last to
the TCP Code, and following the latest developments be made by the ACCC in relation to most of these fixed
Ms. O’Loughlin said: ‘We take breaches of the TCP line services, as with the National Broadband Network
Code very seriously. When telcos are failing their own rollout expected to be completed in June 2020, the
customers it is not good enough … These actions serve migration of most customers from Telstra’s legacy
as a message to the wider industry that the ACMA will networks to the new infrastructure is expected to be
pursue failures to comply with consumer protection mostly done by 2022. The ACCC’s decision will come
rules.’ (November 7, 2019) telegeography.com into effect on 15 November 2019 and follows a fixed
line service Final Access Determination public inquiry
Existing price and non-price terms for seven declared, conducted by the regulator. Commenting on the matter,
or regulated, fixed line wholesale services are to ACCC Chair Rod Sims said: ‘Our decision will provide
be maintained until 30 June 2024, the Australian real price reductions and certainty for the industry in
Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) relation to voice and broadband services which are still
has announced. In a press release regarding the being provided through Telstra’s copper network and
matter, the ACCC listed the seven declared services other legacy infrastructure … Maintaining the current
– predominantly supplied by Telstra – as being: the prices and other terms of access will give the industry
unconditioned local loop service (ULLS), line sharing some certainty and stability as the NBN migration
service (LSS), wholesale line rental (WLR), local carriage continues.’
service (LCS), fixed originating and terminating access (November 1, 2019) telegeography.com

The Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and 2020 to prepare for the auction. The auction will be
Telecoms (RTR) has published the conditions for the divided into two phases: the first will see frequencies
country’s ‘second 5G auction’, which is scheduled to in the 700MHz (six blocks) and 2100MHz (twelve
take place in spring 2020. The regulator is looking to blocks) bands allocated, with eight blocks of 1500MHz
Austria award licenses for spectrum in the 700MHz, 1500MHz spectrum set to be awarded in the second stage.
and 2100MHz frequency bands. Following two public In terms of coverage obligations, 700MHz license
consultations on the auction conditions, the RTR winners will be obliged to supply 900 underserved
says it has re-examined the potential costs incurred communities. In addition, a ‘bonus system’ has been
by operators for a nationwide supply of services and developed whereby operators will be able to gain a
has decided to lower the minimum bid by EUR55 reduction in the spectrum price if they agree to cover
million (USD61 million), to EUR239.3 million, while additional underserved areas.
also increasing the duration of the licenses from 20 (December 12, 2109) commsupdate.com
to around 25 years. Interested parties have until April

The Belgian Digital Agenda and Telecoms Minister, country’s various governments – to discuss the issue
Philippe De Backer, hopes a proposal to place the early next year, with a view to staging an auction before
proceeds of the country’s 5G spectrum auction in a the end of 2020. ‘At that point, we can spend as long as
blocked account will enable a sale to go ahead before needed arguing about how to distribute the proceeds,
Belgium the end of 2020, reports Datanews. The auction has but in the meantime, the 5G rollout can go ahead’, he
been delayed by a disagreement with the country’s said. De Backer also suggested the auction proceeds
regional governments over how the anticipated EUR680 could be used to invest in 5G infrastructure. However,
million (USD745.2 million) raised by the sale should be the country’s mobile operators are not thought to
distributed. The minister told a recent press conference be keen on this idea, as it could make Belgium more
that the solution would enable the Consultation attractive for a fourth competitor.
Committee – the consultative body comprising the (December 6, 2109) commsupdate.com

125 NOVEMBER 2019