Page 76 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2021

WHOLESALE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Communications Authority Slashes Calling Rates

Consumers will enjoy lower calling rates them to enjoy affordable communications accessibility and affordability of ICTs by
following the review of mobile termination services,” CA said in a statement. The Kenyans. This is not the first time that the
rates and fixed termination rates by the Authority further noted that at the retail level, Authority is lowering the rates. The first
Communications Authority of Kenya (CA). consumers will enjoy access to a variety of such determination was issued in 2007
The Authority cut the rates from Sh0.99 to affordable services across networks while and followed by another in 2010.
Sh0.12. CA said the cut will have a positive at the wholesale level operators will have
impact on both consumers and operators, more price flexibility. Mobile termination
adding the review will reduce the need for rates and fixed termination rates are the
consumers to own multiple SIM cards as costs that operators charge each other
charges across networks come down. “The to allow customers communicate across
review was founded on the recognition networks. The initiative is aligned with the
that higher mobile termination rates and Authority’s Vision of a Digitally Connected
fixed termination rates mean higher calling Nation, as well as the National ICT Policy
rates for consumer making it difficult go Guidelines 2020 broad goal of ensuring

French Supreme Court Dismissed Appeal Against Orange Free Roaming

French telecommunications authority Arcep rejects the appeal / 3G roaming agreement until the end of 2022, prompting further
filed by Bouygues Telecom and SFR against a regulatory decision investigation into the terms of the extension. Commenting on the
issued in October 2020 that approved the extension of domestic decision of the French Supreme Court, Arcep said he supported the
roaming contracts between rivals. Etat) welcomed the decision. approach to network sharing. French Supreme Court dismissed
And orange. The latter sought Alsep’s approval to extend the 2G appeal against orange free roaming contract.

Nkom Seeks Feedback on Fixed Broadband Market Definitions Ahead of
Wholesale Analysis

Norway’s National Communications Authority (Nkom) has one or more markets at the wholesale level. The Nkom’s previous
announced the start of work on analyzing the country’s fixed wholesale broadband market rulings were published in 2018 and
broadband markets, as the basis for a possible designation of one saw Telenor Norge designated as holding SMP at the wholesale
or more providers as having significant market power (SMP). In a level, with a number of obligations imposed upon it as a result.
press release regarding the matter, the Nkom said it will seek input Now, in terms of its planned schedule for the next analysis, the
from operators and interested parties by a deadline of 4 January watchdog says it will carry this out during the first of 2022, before
2022, with its primary aim being to gather input on the ‘precise sending notifications of any decision related to those companies
demarcations’ of the product markets for broadband services as holding SMP for consultation. With draft decisions to then be sent
they relate to end users. According to Hans Jorgen Enger, head of to the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) for notification ahead of
Nkom’s competition department, the purpose of determining these a final ruling, the Nkom has said it does not envisage that latter
markets is so as to enable it to investigate whether there should be stage happening until ‘the end of the first half of 2023’.

UPC Poland Inks Wholesale Deal with Tauron

UPC Poland has signed a new deal to share the fiber networks of utility firm
Tauron. The wholesale agreement will add 100,000 people to UPC’s footprint in
132 communities in the Dolnoslaskie, Slaskie and Malopolskie regions. Tauron
deployed the networks under the government-backed Operational Program
Digital Poland (Programu Operacyjnego Polska Cyfrowa, POPC), which was
established to subsidize fiber rollouts in underserved areas.

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