Page 122 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Communications Authority (CA) has pushed back requirements, giving licensees until April 2024 to
deployment deadlines for operators holding millimeter deploy at least 20% of the minimum requirement and
wave (mmWave) 5G spectrum. HKT, China Mobile April 2025 to install a further 30% of the total, with the
Hong Kong (CMHK) and SmarTone were each awarded remaining 50% to be deployed during 2026. Operators
Hong Kong 400MHz of spectrum in the 26GHz and 28GHz bands requested an extension of the deadline due to the later-
in March 2019, with the stipulation that they should
than-expected availability of compatible handsets and
install a minimum of 2,500 radio units in each band by network equipment.
end-2024. The regulator has now relaxed the rollout (November 23, 2021) commsupdate.com

The Electronic Communications Office of Iceland ‘it has now come to the point to stop operating older
(ECOI) has revealed plans to extend most frequency mobile technology’, as it is ‘inefficient and inconsistent
authorizations set to expire in 2022-2023 until 31 March with environmental considerations to maintain and
2023 in order to harmonies the validity of all operating operate many mobile network systems, including
Iceland concessions. The regulator held a public consultation systems that do not meet modern needs. However, the
watchdog conceded that it needs to take appropriate
on the matter in the summer of 2021, laying out plans
to extend all frequency rights for another 20 years, mitigation measures, setting 2025 as the deadline for
while also imposing updated coverage and quality of the switch-off of GSM/UMTS networks. Further, the
service (QoS) obligations on the licensees. The ECOI ECOI plans to hold another consultation on the planned
said that the obligations in question have not yet been allocation of a 2×10MHz block in the 700MHz band to
formulated; it will hold a special consultation with Oryggisfjarskipti for emergency telecoms services, on
frequency rights holders on the above-mentioned the condition that the company shares the frequencies
development plans next summer. Regarding the with operators that provide general communications
phasing out of 2G and 3G services, the ECOI stated that services. (December 13, 2021) commsupdate.com

Sector watchdog the Telecom Regulatory Authority Communications (RCOM) – although the last-named
of India (TRAI) has published a consultation paper provider had only a token presence and was in the midst
regarding plans to auction spectrum for 5G services. of bankruptcy proceedings. (December 1, 2021) commsupdate.com
Under consideration for sale are frequencies in the
India 700MHz, 800MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz, India will have 500 million 5G users by 2027, accounting
2500MH,
3300MHz-3670MHz
and
2300MHz,
for 39% of all mobile subscribers, according to the 2021
24.25GHz-28.5GHz bands, as well as additional sub- edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report. Consequently,
1GHz frequencies. The publication seeks input from the number of 4G subscribers in India is expected to
stakeholders on a wide range of matters relating to fall from 790 million in 2021 to 710 million in 2027,
the auction, such as: band plans for frequency ranges declining 2% annually. Global 5G subscriptions are
identified for 5G, including the 526MHz-617MHz, expected to reach 4.4 billion over the next six years, up
3300MHz-3670MHz and 24.25GHz-28.5GHz ranges; from 660 million at the end of 2021, the report added.
block sizes and minimum quantities for bids; rollout The migration to 5G will also drive data consumption.
obligations; and spectrum caps and the return of According to Ericsson, average monthly data usage
spectrum. Most notably, though, the TRAI has sought per user is expected to grow from 18.4 gigabyte (GB)
opinions on the pricing of the spectrum to be auctioned per month—the second-highest globally—to 50 GB per
as well as the methodology for determining those month in 2027. The global average is expected to be at
prices. TeleGeography notes that the spectrum costs 41 GB in 2027 up from 11.4 GB in 2021. Mobile traffic
have been a contentious issue in India over the last in India is expected to grow by over four times from 12
decade, with the fallout from the 2G spectrum scandal exabytes (EB) per month in 2021 to 49 EB per month
leading to inflated prices which were then maintained over the next six years. One exabyte is equal to a billion
through subsequent tenders. The financial burden gigabytes. Ericsson analysts attributed the high growth
of the excessive spectrum costs was a contributing to an increase in average usage per smartphone, as
factor in the sector’s recent financial crisis and well as the number of smartphone users in both urban
the consolidation of the market from over a dozen and rural India. The report said the number of Indian
providers to six: Reliance Jio Infocomm (Jio), Bharti smartphone users will grow from 810 million at the end
Airtel, Vodafone Idea (Vi), state-owned providers of 2021 to 1.2 billion by 2027 at a compound annual
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar growth rate (CAGR) of 7%. “A lot of this growth will
Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL), and Reliance depend on the market and how fast 5G is being rolled

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