Page 75 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2021

WHOLESALE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

WHOLESALE NEWS

EU Agrees to Extend Roaming Rules to 2032

The European Parliament reached an agreement with European time in February, with the Parliament voting in favor in October.
Union (EU) member states to extend regulation allowing citizens The existing set of rules were introduced in 2017 and abolished
to roam without incurring additional charges when travelling in consumer surcharges for using mobile data, calls and SMS across
the bloc by a further ten years, along with introducing further EU countries. The original term expires in July 2022. In addition
advantages for consumers. In a statement, the European to the extension, the EC explained those travelling across the
Commission (EC) welcomed the decision to extend current EU will have improved access to communications regardless
roaming rules to 2032. The Commission first proposed the extra of their location, and greater information around unexpected
charges. Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton
said travelling in Europe without having to worry about phone
bills “is a tangible part of the EU single market experience for all
Europeans”. “Today we are not only ensuring that this experience
continues, but we are upgrading it. Better quality, better services,
even more transparency.” The EC added the updated rules lower
wholesale charges to ensure operators can “sustain and recover
the cost of providing roaming services to consumers at domestic
prices”. Going forward, the EC noted it was also looking to
evaluate measures on calls and SMS rates from a home country
to another member state, and if there was a need for caps to
protect consumers.

NCC Sets New International Termination Rate

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has determined (MTR) of NGN3.90 for generic 2G/3G/4G operators and NGN4.70
the new international termination rate (ITR) for voice services paid for new entrant LTE operators determined in 2018 will continue
by overseas telecoms carriers for terminating international calls to apply for local call termination until a new rate is determined
on local networks in Nigeria at USD0.045 per minute. The new rate by the regulator. ‘The Commission has carefully considered
will take effect on 1 January 2022 and has been set in US dollars the information provided by stakeholders and taken a view on
(USD) to enable Nigerian operators to receive an increasing rate in parameters and regulatory measures in the light of relevant
Nigerian naira (NGN) terms to accommodate devaluation. The ITR information such as international experience, cost model results,
rate is the minimum that can be charged; operators will be free the state of competition in the sector and the Nigerian macro-
to negotiate a rate above the floor and this will be entirely left to economic environment,’ commented the NCC’s Executive Vice
commercial negotiation between the operators and international Chairman Umar Garba Danbatta, adding: ‘We are confident that
carriers/partners. Previously, the ITR for inbound traffic was the result the review will make a significant contribution to the
increased from NGN3.90 (USD0.009) to NGN24.40 per minute in development of the telecoms sector in Nigeria and be beneficial
October 2016 and the rate was maintained at this level from 1 to subscribers, operators and the country at large.’
June 2018. The NCC has added that the mobile termination rate

Orange Poland Plans Push to Expand Wholesale Services

Orange Poland says it is looking to ramp up its wholesale more and more often not only competitors, but in many areas they
operations, including offering fiber-optic access to other telcos are able to jointly work out solutions that benefit everyone.’ The
and hosting MVNOs on its mobile network. Maciej Nowohonski, first MVNOs are expected to launch on Orange infrastructure in
member of the management board of Orange for Wholesale Market the first half of next year. Meanwhile, Swiatlowod Inwestycje, the
and Real Estate Sales, commented: ‘The telecommunications wholesale fibre provider established by Orange, plans to deploy a
market has changed a lot in recent years. Today, operators are network covering 2.4 million premises by 2025.

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