Page 91 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

in urban areas are twice as likely to use per cent of the rest of the population. • Affordability of devices and services
the Internet as those in rural areas (72 • Greater uptake among young people remains a major barrier. The widely
per cent urban compared to 34 per cent bodes well for connectivity and accepted target for affordable
rural). development. In the LDCs, for example, broadband connectivity in developing
• In the LDCs, urban dwellers are almost half of the population is less than 20 countries sets the cost of an entry-
four times as likely to use the Internet years old, suggesting that local labour level mobile broadband package at 2
as people living in rural areas (47 per markets will become progressively per cent of gross national income (GNI)
cent urban compared to 13 per cent more connected and technology-savvy per capita. Yet in some of the world's
rural). as the younger generation enters the poorest nations, getting online can cost
A generational gap is evident across all workforce. a staggering 20 per cent or more of per
world regions. ITU continues monitoring the world's capita GNI.
• On average, 71 per cent of the world's evolving digital divide. • Lack of digital skills and an appreciation
population aged 15-24 is using the • ITU figures also point to a glaring gap of the benefits of an online connection
Internet, compared with 57 per cent of between digital network availability is another bottleneck, compounded by
all other age groups. versus actual connection. While 95 a lack of content in local languages,
• This generational gap is reflected across per cent of people in the world could as well as by interfaces that demand
all regions. It is most pronounced in the theoretically access a 3G or 4G mobile literacy and numeracy skills that many
LDCs, where 34 per cent of young people broadband network, billions of them do people do not possess.
are connected, compared with only 22 not connect.

Optus and Telstra Lay Claim to Spectrum in ACMA’s 850MHz/950MHz

Auction

Optus and Telstra have been named as ‘900 lower major population’ (890MHz- to the spectrum ‘under special circum-
the two winning bidders in the Austra- 895MHz/935MHz-940MHz); ‘900 lower stances’ before the concessions officially
lian Communications and Media Authori- regional’ (890MHz-895MHz/935MHz- commence. Commenting on the matter,
ty’s (ACMA’s) auction for spectrum in the 940MHz); ‘900 upper major population’ ACMA acting Chair Creina Chapman said
850MHz and 900MHz bands. In a press (895MHz-915MHz/940MHz-960MHz); the frequency allocations will help support
release, the regulator revealed that with and ‘900 upper regional’ (895MHz- the deployment of 4G and 5G networks
all 16 available lots having been sold, the 915MHz/940MHz-960MHz). For its part, across Australia, noting: ‘This spectrum
auction had raised a total of AUD2.092 Telstra bid AUD616 million for a total of will support the deployment of more wire-
billion (USD1.48 billion) for state coffers. twelve lots in the 850MHz band, compris- less broadband services, facilitating high-
Optus emerged as the biggest spender, ing the follow spectrum packages: ‘850 er speeds and more reliable networks for
agreeing to pay a total of AUD1.476 mil- major population’ (814-824MHz/859M- consumers … The successful allocation of
lion for twelve lots of spectrum across Hz-869MHz); and ‘850 regional’ (814MHz- 850MHz/900MHz band spectrum is an-
both bands, with it laying claim to the 824MHz/859MHz-869MHz). All licenses other important step forward for Austra-
following regional ‘products’: ‘downshift will come into force on 1 July 2024, for a lia’s transition to 5G, and the deployment
metropolitan’ (824MHz-825MHz/869M- 20-year term ending in 2044, although the of new technologies.’
Hz-870MHz); ‘downshift regional’ ACMA noted that winning bidders may
(824MHz-825MHz/869MHz-870MHz); have the opportunity to obtain early access

MTN Rwanda Requests Additional Time to Improve QoS

Mobile operator MTN Rwanda has RURA is set to review the situation in
requested an extension to enable it to two weeks. Ernest Nsabimana, Director
fix network issues before the Rwanda General of RURA, is cited as saying: ‘We
Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) have received a report of what they have
hands down the fines which it threatened fixed so far and we are evaluating it; we will
several months ago. The telco was ordered evaluate the factors that made them delay
to improve its quality of service (QoS) the fixing of issues, and on what levels the
nationwide by 30 November 2021 or face issues have been fixed and from there we
sanctions. A report from New Times says will take a decision.’

91 NOV-DEC 2021