Page 136 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

cap, including existing frequency holdings. Proposed following an investigation into 5G network security. The
minimum license bids total EUR900 million (USD998 order refers to potential measures to ban ‘unreliable
million) while the draft rules say 5G license winners suppliers’ from critical parts of telecom networks. Full
must achieve 98% area coverage of all municipalities details of such measures are yet to be decided on,
nationwide. Comments on the draft auction regulations however. (December 6, 2019) commsupdate.com
and license conditions will be accepted for six weeks.
The 3.5GHz 5G band is expected to be auctioned in early Dutch regulator ACM has asked telecom providers
2022 and available for commercial usage by September to declare their (relevant) net revenues for 2018. The
that year, although the frequencies in the north of the information must reach the regulator by 31 December.
country must first be relinquished by the intelligence The numbers will be used to calculate how much
services, which use them for a satellite communication operators must pay the ACM for its supervision costs.
interception station. The government says its proposal ACM divides providers into two categories based on
to move the station to another European country by their revenues. Those making less than EUR 2 million
mid-2022 is feasible ‘in principle’. In related news, per year do not have to pay a contribution. Those
the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs published a making EUR 2 million or more will be proportionally
‘general administrative order’ on 5 December (see link) taxed. (November 27, 2019) telecompaper.com

The New Zealand government has approved plans New Zealand’s Commerce Commission has released
to allocate short-term rights to 160MHz of unused its draft decisions on the design of the new regulatory
frequencies in the 3.5GHz band to mobile network regime for fiber broadband networks. For Chorus, the
operators and the Maori community next year, reports regulation takes the form of a revenue cap, which
New Zealand ZDNet. Telecoms minister Kris Faafoi confirmed an will limit the prices consumers pay for broadband, as
auction will be held for the available spectrum from well as minimum standards for KPIs such as service
the middle of next year, with the rights running until availability and network performance. Chorus and the
31 October 2022, by which time plans for a longer- other local fiber companies (Northpower Fiber, Ultrafast
term allocation of the spectrum will have been Fiber, and Enable Networks) will also be required to
finalized. ‘Early access to this spectrum will allow publish performance measures, such as profits, quality
the telecommunications industry to move forward of service, and expenditure. The Commission has made
in their development and deployment of 5G services draft decisions on three key areas since its emerging
now, rather than waiting until long-term rights are views were published earlier this year. These include a
switched on in November 2022,’ noted the minister. new way of passing through to consumers the Crown
The government confirmed there will be a limit on the subsidy for ultra-fast fiber broadband (UFB), and higher
amount of spectrum operators can purchase and that allowances for risk in the allowed rate of return. The
it will be subject to minimum use terms. There will also Commission will publish its final decisions on the input
be no guarantee that short-term rights will provide methodologies in mid-2020 before setting the revenue
long-term access. Short-term allocation of spectrum cap and minimum quality standards for Chorus and the
will be made to the Maori community, and a support information disclosure regime for all providers in late
program to build Maori capability in spectrum-related 2021. The new regime will apply from the beginning of
industries will be developed to maximize the benefits 2022, by which time most New Zealanders will have
of this opportunity. Further details of the short-term access to UFB.
allocation will be released early next year. (November 19, 2019) telegeography.com
(December 16, 2019) commsupdate.com

The government of Nigeria is developing the National service providers in a stand-off between the operators
Broadband Plan 2020-2025 to increase broadband and the Minister of Communication Dr Isa Ibrahim
penetration to around 70% across the country. A new Pantami over data fees. Earlier this month, telcos
Nigeria 25-member committee has been set up to formulate ignored an instruction from the Minister ordering them
to decrease the price of data in the country within five
the plan, with the support of the UK government.
The plan will follow on from the National Broadband days. The Minister had issued a statement claiming that
Plan 2013-2018, which achieved its aim to increase Nigerians were not enjoying internet services because
penetration to 30%. (December 18, 2019) commsupdate.com of the high cost of data in the country. Represented
by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), the telcos did not
stepped in on behalf of Nigeria’s telecommunication decrease their data prices, and they declared the

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