Page 93 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

NTA to Develop a Cyber Security System

NTA is developing a cyber security system to safeguard Nepali adds. Often such cyber attacks seem like proxy attacks. It means
cyberspace from possible breaches, with a consulting firm. the origin of the attacks seems coming from China, but actually,
The Telecommunicates Authority released a notice seeking it’s coming from within.” The attacks into the cyber system put
Expression of Interest from interested consultants to build its national security at risk by divulging crucial information. Some of
security system. NTA has named the project – Cyber Security these breaches have sinister objectives in mind. Therefore, NTA
System for the Protection of International Internet Gateway and is stepping up to develop a more sophisticated security system
Domestic/National Network. Interested candidates shall submit to protect Nepali cyberspace. Cybersecurity war is real and often
their EoI application within 15 days at www.bolpatra.gov.np/ a tool by the state or state-funded entity to carry out branches
egp only e-GP on or before 10-01-2022 at 12:00 AM. NTA will on foreign organizations, government data, and other crucial
award the contract to a consultant based on its qualification, communication systems. Such attacks can put national security
and experience and capacity, and key personnel. It assigns 40% at risk as well as citizens’. Therefore, a highly-advanced firewall
of credentials on qualification, 50% on experience, and 10 on should be implemented to guard the nation’s cyberspace against
capacity on the consultant. NTA will only invite the shortlisted foreign as well as national attacks.
firms to submit the technical and financial proposal afterward.
Any firm which scores 60% or above will qualify for the EoI.
Malware, Phishing, Ransomware, Man-in-the-middle attack, etc.
have compromised sensitive data, such attacks are becoming
more sophisticated these days. NTA says, “these attacks from
the internet generally come to the service providers networks
via International Internet Gateways.” “Around 20-30 % of the
internet traffic generally comes to the territory of Nepal through
International Gateways. Despite attempts to forfeit, International
Internet Gateways are often vulnerable to such attacks. For the
remaining internet traffic in Domestic/National Networks, efforts
need to be made to safeguard the national ICT infrastructure,” NTA

CMA Suggests Cellnex-CK Hutchison Tower Deal Could Harm Competition,

Lead to Higher Prices

then the former’s passive infrastructure mobile network operators (MNOs), which
assets would most likely have been sold in turn could mean an adverse impact for
to an alternative buyer. It added that its users of mobile networks across the UK.
investigation had provisionally determined The CMA is now seeking feedback on its
that the deal could raise ‘significant findings by 14 January 2022, as well as
competition concerns’, with the CMA on its notice of possible remedies by 7
arguing that the sale of this business to January 2022, while it has said it expects
Cellnex, rather than an alternative buyer, to issue a final decision by 7 March 2022.
may prevent the emergence of a third As previously reported by CommsUpdate,
major national player – instead leaving a back in July 2021 the CMA announced that
duopoly in which Cellnex and Cornerstone it had referred the proposed acquisition
The UK’s Competition and Markets Telecommunications Infrastructure of the passive infrastructure assets of CK
Authority (CMA) has released its Limited (CTIL) would account for over Hutchison and its subsidiaries in the UK
provisionally findings on Cellnex’s 90% of the market. Such a situation, the by Cellnex for a full investigation. That
proposed purchase of CK Hutchison’s competition watchdog argued, could announcement came after Spain-based
telecoms towers, adjudging it could harm ‘materially reduce competition to supply mobile tower firm Cellnex in November
competition and lead to higher mobile the infrastructure requirements of mobile 2020 confirmed an agreement to acquire
charges. In reporting its initial findings networks in future contract negotiations, 24,600 towers from CK Hutchison in the
on the matter, the CMA said that, having running the risk of those networks UK, Italy, Ireland, Austria, Sweden and
reviewed ‘a range of evidence’ in relation facing higher prices and more onerous Denmark in a deal valued at around EUR10
to CK Hutchison’s internal decision- contracts. Meanwhile, the CMA said it billion (USD11.3 billion).
making, it had provisionally found that if was concerned that this could result in
the deal with Cellnex had not been agreed, higher prices or lower quality services for

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