Page 109 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Peruvian Ministry of Transport and Communications already in place from a number of mobile operators.
(MTC) has announced plans to begin reassigning However, the 800MHz band is at the lower frequency
spectrum in the 800MHz band in order to allow the end of mobile-friendly spectrum, which means that such
deployment of 4G and rural services. The band in signals are attractive for delivering wide geographic
Peru question has so far been used for the deployment coverage – notably in rural areas. Thus, the hope is also
of trunked networks, technology inherited from the
that these measures will contribute to closing the digital
operator Entel which is described as currently obsolete. divide, especially in rural areas. In fact, MTC argues
MTC hopes that the reassignment process will allow that the investment commitments obtained from the
these frequency bands to be better used, suggesting process could be allocated to the implementation of
that the reassignment of the 800MHz band (806 – telecommunications infrastructure in underserved rural
824MHz 851 – 869MHz) could benefit more Peruvians, and remote areas of the country. It’s not clear, however,
not only through the deployment of modern services when this process will begin or, for that matter, how or
based on mobile technologies such as 4G but through whether an auction process will be involved.
the development of smart cities. There is 4G coverage (November 27, 2022) www.developingtelecoms.com

The Office of Electronic Communications (Urzad competition regulator when approving the takeover of
Komunikacji Elektronicznej, UKE) in Poland is launching rival Multimedia Polska. In January 2020 the Office of
a consultation process on 20 December ahead of the Competition and Consumer Protection (Urzad Ochrony
planned award of 5G licenses in the 3.5GHz band Konkurencji i Konsumentow, UOKiK) gave the green light
(3480MHz-3800MHz) next year. The allocation process to the merger of Vectra and Multimedia if Vectra agreed
Poland has been delayed while the government updates the to sell networks in eight cities and offer customers in
Electronic Communication Law and the Act on the a further 13 markets the option of changing provider
National Cybersecurity System (KSC). In October 2022 without costs. The watchdog now says that the
industry body Digital Poland (Cyfrowa Polska) wrote cableco has sold networks in just three cities and it
to the government to request that 3.5GHz C-band faces a fine of up to EUR10,000 (USD10,539) per day.
Draft
spectrum be made available for 5G services ‘as soon as Telko.in has published a response from Vectra which
possible’, saying that the prompt allocation of licenses states: ‘To date, Vectra has met the vast majority of the
was ‘necessary and urgent’. Among EU countries, conditions imposed by [UOKiK], and the networks not
only Poland and the Netherlands have failed to award yet sold represent only an insignificant percentage of
3.5GHz concessions to support 5G. UKE had previously Multimedia Polska’s assets.’ It says that it has increased
opened an auction for four 3.5GHz licenses in March competition in the affected markets by deploying fiber-
2020, with each offering 80MHz of spectrum, but the to-the-home (FTTH) infrastructure and allowing rival
process was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. operator Play to offer services over its networks. It goes
(December 14, 2022) www.commsupdate.com on to add: ‘Our actions directly address issues regarding
the possibility for customers to use the services of more
Cable operator Vectra is facing fines for failing than one supplier.’
to meet the conditions imposed by the country’s (December 5, 2022) www.commsupdate.com

Telecoms watchdog the National Authority for Manage- Telecoms watchdog the National Authority for Manage-
ment & Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) has ment & Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) has
announced that the country’s mobile network operators announced the completion of its 5G multi-band spec-
(MNOs) have fulfilled an obligation to provide voice trum auction, which saw the three bidders – Orange
Romania services to at least 98% of the country’s population. Romania, Vodafone Romania and RCS&RDS – agree
According to field measurements conducted between
to pay a total of EUR432.6 million (USD448.3 million)
May and October of this year, RCS&RDS (DIGI) covered for 420MHz of frequencies in the 700MHz, 1500MHz,
98.8% of the population with mobile voice services, Or- 2600MHz and 3400MHz-3800MHz bands, equivalent
ange Romania 98.5%, Telekom Romania Mobile Com- to 75.6% of the spectrum on offer. The country’s fourth
munications 98.5% and Vodafone Romania 98.4%. Tele- mobile network operator (MNO), Telekom Romania Mo-
kom Romania was fined RON700,000 (USD149,250) in bile Communications, opted to sit out the tender pro-
January 2021 for non-fulfilment of its spectrum license cess. Orange Romania was the highest bidder, paying
obligation to achieve the required coverage by April EUR264.61 million for two blocks of 2×5MHz FDD spec-
2017, after an earlier monitoring survey found 97.25% trum in the 700MHz band, all eight blocks of 5MHz in the
of the population were within its voice services foot- 1500MHz band, and 16 lots of 10MHz in the 3400MHz-
print. (December 8, 2022) www.commsupdate.com 3800MHz band. For its part, Vodafone Romania bid a

109 NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 2022