Page 81 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2021

WHOLESALE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Paratus Namibia, MTN Sign Roaming Agreement

Paratus Namibia and MTN Namibia have signed a national service to customers, but also a very attractive competitive option
roaming agreement, the first of its kind in the Southern African in the market’. Paratus Namibia MD Andrew Hall commented: ‘By
country, allowing them to expand their own networks without partnering with MTN, we are now able to realize a faster mobile
duplicating coverage in specific areas. In a press release, Paratus LTE roll-out as, in the past, we have been unsuccessful engaging
and MTN claimed the deal marks a milestone for the country’s with the dominant operators to achieve our goals. We are proud to
telecoms sector, as it ‘will provide not only a better mobile LTE be making telecommunications history in Namibia and to embark
on this journey together with MTN, because national roaming
agreements are the next natural step in developing the market
and in delivering what customers need.’ MTN Namibia MD Elia
Tsourous added: ‘We are delighted that this agreement has been
signed with Paratus Namibia. We believe that everyone deserves
the right of access to a modern, connected digital life and this
agreement helps us realize our business objectives of delivering
better service to customers in Namibia. We see only positive
benefit from this agreement for all.’ Paratus Namibia launched
mobile LTE data services in 2016 and has since expanded
coverage to Walvis, Swakopmund, Okahandja, Rehoboth and
Otjiwarongo, while MTN first deployed its TD-LTE network in 2019
and now covers Windhoek, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Ondangwa,
Oshakati and Ongwediva.

European Commission Opens In-Depth Investigation in the Proposed
Regulation of Wholesale Mobile Access Market in Czechia

The European Commission opened an in-depth investigation allowing them to represent a threat to the existing MNOs, the fact
into the Czech national regulatory authority’s (CTU) draft market that a new operator entered the market with 5G spectrum rights
analysis with regard to the regulation of the wholesale market and is set to build its own infrastructure is very likely to have a
for access to mobile services in the Czech Republic. Access and positive impact on the market in the foreseeable future. In addition,
call origination are services which mobile network operators the view of the Commission, based on the spectrum conditions
(“MNOs”) supply to themselves and to other mobile network that are already in place, CTU is able to enforce efficient market
operators or mobile virtual network operators (operators who do entry through the existing access obligations. Moreover, at this
not own a network, “MVNOs”) hosted on their networks. Such stage, the Commission has serious doubts as to whether CTU
services can be provided also to other MNOs who have their has demonstrated the existence of the joint SMP (i.e. collective
own network and access rights to spectrum, but their network dominance) on the mobile market in Czechia. In particular, the
is still underdeveloped (e.g. due to late market entry, or due to a Commission has serious doubts whether the MNOs have the
commercial decision to rely on national roaming in certain areas, ability to adopt a common policy and the nature of the commercial
rather than deploy its own network). CTU proposes to designate behavior inducing such coordination, the question whether the
three MNOs (i.e. O2, T-Mobile and Vodafone) as having joint market is sufficiently transparent to allow such common behavior,
Significant Market Power (“SMP”) in this wholesale mobile market and the MNOs’ ability to take counteraction the others party (ies)
and consequently to impose regulatory obligations on these three deviate (s) from the common policy (given that access to MVNOs
operators, that are the main operators in the Czech market. In its is already granted). The Commission therefore has serious doubts
serious doubts letter, the Commission does not question as such as to the compatibility of the related draft measures with EU law
that the Czech mobile market may not display the characteristics and considers it necessary to initiate an in-depth investigation.
of a fully competitive market. However, the Commission questions The Commission has two months to further investigate the draft
the reasoning supporting the finding of the joint SMP, and hence measures and the evidence presented therein, in close cooperation
the proposed regulation. At this stage, the Commission considers with the Body of European regulators (BEREC). At the end of the
that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that in the Czech Phase II investigation period, the Commission may either lift its
market, the three main mobile operators kept their networks open reservations or issue a veto under Article 32 of the European
and this enabled the successful commercial market entry of more Electronic Communications Code. During this period, CTU will not
than 100 MVNOs. Although MVNOs typically do not reach a size be able to adopt its draft measures.

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