Page 145 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

provide infrastructure services, except if it obtains an Authorization to provide digital financial services. This
appropriate PIP license as well. The license duration will cover electronic financial non-banking services,
will be five years. A holder of this license must be 20% insurance services, mobile money services, mobile
locally owned. electronic payments solutions, mobile based lending
National Public Infrastructure Provider (NPIP) License. services among others.
This will allow the license holder to establish and Authorization to provide aggregation services. This
provide infrastructure services to licensed national will cover providers of aggregation services including
operators, public infrastructure providers, public short code holders and other providers that use
service providers and private networks in Uganda. communications infrastructure to aggregate content.
Holders of this license will not be allowed to provide Digital audio visual content. This will cover entities
services to final consumers, except where the operator that create, package and make available digital
also holds a PSP license. The license duration will be audio-visual content through telecommunications
15 years. A holder of this license must be 20% locally infrastructure. These are to be distinguished from
owned. traditional broadcasters.
Regional Public Service Provider (RPSP) License. Transition
This license will allow the licensee to provide either Current license holders have 60 days from 30 October
voice and data services or capacity resale services 2019 to apply for licenses under the new framework.
in a specific region. The licensee will not be allowed The UCC will evaluate the applications and confirm or
to provide services outside of its licensed region. The suggest a different license. Those whose applications
license duration will be five years. for licenses are pending but not yet considered have
Regional Public Infrastructure Provider (RPIP) 30 days to re-apply. New entities can start applying
License. This license will allow the holder to provide immediately. The new regime is expected to take effect
infrastructure services to licensed public service in June 2020. (November 6, 2019) mondaq.com
providers in the authorized license area/ region.
Licensed operators that provide both infrastructure The government says the country’s telecoms operators
and services in three regions will become eligible for must list at least 20% of their shares on the local
an NTO license. The license duration will be 15 years. bourse within two years in a move to encourage
Other licenses/ authorizations local ownership. Mr. Ibrahim Bbosa, spokesman for
Equipment distribution authorization for those the regulator Uganda Communications Commission
who deal strictly in the distribution and sale of (UCC) said that the share listing will be one of the
telecommunications equipment, including network and terms contained within new licenses: ‘In 60 days we
customer terminals. want to have issued new licenses and then two years
Equipment vending and installation authorization for from then all the players should have listed at least
those who intend to import, vend, install and maintain 20% of their shares on the Uganda Stock Exchange
telecommunications equipment. (USE).’ The foreign-owned operators MTN Uganda and
Authorization to manufacture telecommunications Airtel Uganda control almost 90% of the local mobile
equipment for those who intend to set up manufacturing/ market between them. Another condition of the new
assembly plants for telecommunications equipment. licenses will be for operators to share fiber backbone
Authorization for disposal of communications infrastructure to avoid the expense of each firm rolling
equipment. out overlapping networks.
Authorizations for value-added services (November 1, 2019) reuter.com

The National Television & Radio Broadcasting Council State Centre of Radio Frequencies (UCRF) will allocate
(NRADA) announced on its website that it has additional frequencies for local/regional broadcasting.
approved a draft Action Plan to free up the ‘digital Preliminary calculations for redevelopment of local
dividend’ 790MHz-862MHz (800MHz) and 694MHz- and regional TV channels are due from the UCRF
790MHz (700MHz) frequency bands for 4G LTE in April 2020, NRADA added. (December 17, 2019)
Ukraine mobile broadband services by redistributing spectrum commsupdate.com
used by TV broadcasting. The plan was approved at
NRADA’s meeting on 12 December in accordance with Telecoms regulator the NCCIR issued Decision No. 529
Presidential Decree No. 497 of 8 July 2019 ‘On Some on 12 November 2019 confirming that it will allocate
Measures to Improve Access to Mobile Internet’, and will nationwide 5G-suitable wireless spectrum in the
now be sent to the State Secretariat of Administration 3400MHz-3600MHz range ‘on a competitive or tender
for further approval by the Cabinet of Ministers. Under basis’. On the same date the watchdog withdrew an
the plan, national digital TV channels will operate operating permit of FreshTel, which previously held
in the 470MHz-694MHz range, while the Ukrainian frequencies in the band but had its license cancelled

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