Page 112 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

million) made available to fund rural network rollouts. went to community associations set up to improve
The regulator says the funding covers 384 projects and rural connectivity. PTS expects around SEK1.3 billion to
33,867 buildings in the targeted regions of Norrland, made available for similar projects in 2023.
Svealand and Gotaland. 44% of the total subsidies (November 11, 2022) www.commsupdate.com

The Federal Supreme Court has upheld a ruling from The apex court has now upheld that ruling, stating that
the Administrative Court regarding Swisscom’s fiber the decision was not arbitrary. For its part, Swisscom
rollout. In December 2020 the Competition Commission issued a statement on the matter, noting that it had
(Wettbewerbskommission, WEKO) opened proceedings decided in October 2022 to install the majority of
Switzerland against Swisscom amidst concerns that its decision in fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) lines using a point-to-point
February that year to migrate to a point-to-multipoint (P2P) architecture and to convert some existing P2MP
(P2MP) topology would restrict competition by connections to P2P. The state-owned provider added
preventing other telcos from gaining physical access that the P2MP system allows for a faster buildout and
to Layer 1 infrastructure. As part of its investigation, WEKO’s intervention had prevented it from putting
WEKO imposed precautionary measures on the into operation or marketing lines using this topology.
operator, barring it from arranging its fiber network in Swisscom claimed that 500,000 connections were
a way that would restrict access to its competitors. affected by the order. Swisscom went on to say that it
The Federal Administrative Court rejected Swisscom’s offers all of its competitor’s non-discriminatory access
subsequent appeal against the measures in September to its networks under regulated or commercially agreed
2021 and confirmed WEKO’s precautionary measures. conditions. (November 30, 2022) www.commsupdate.com

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority aims to launch in the country during the first quarter of
(TCRA) has announced that Starlink, the satellite 2023, subject to regulatory approval. Starlink’s low orbit
internet service of SpaceX, has applied for a license satellites are designed to offer high speed, low latency
to operate high speed, low latency satellite broadband broadband internet in remote and rural locations across
Tanzania services in Tanzania. According to The Citizen, Starlink the globe. (November 28, 2022) www.commsupdate.com

The government of Uganda has transferred the assets to UTCL. UTL was part-privatized in 2000 and in 2007
of Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL) to the state-owned Libyan investment vehicle Libya Africa Portfolio Green
company Uganda Telecommunications Corporation Network (LAP GreenN) took control of a 69% interest in
Limited (UTCL). UTCL is 60% owned by the Ministry the telco. By 2017, however, UTL was struggling to stay
Uganda of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and afloat and the Ugandan government announced that it
40% by the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance. The would take control of the firm in an effort to revive its
firm was established in April 2021 when UTL went into fortunes. A report from PML Daily says the management
administration, and in February this year signed an asset of UTCL now plans to offer improved mobile money and
sale agreement to take over the business of UTL. With broadband services to help turn the business around.
effect from 1 December all UTL employees will transfer (November 21, 2022) www.commsupdate.com

British telecoms regulator Ofcom has announced that According to Ofcom, it will now consider whether the
it has been notified of new fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) notified offer raises competition concerns requiring
pricing arrangements – known as ‘Equinox 2’ – that intervention and reach a provisional view. It has said
Openreach intends to put in place from 1 April 2023. it expects to publish a consultation on this provisional
United Announcing the development, the watchdog noted view by early February, to which stakeholders will have
30 days to respond. For its part, Openreach has claimed
that under its wholesale fixed telecoms market review
Kingdom rules, Openreach – the network unit of BT Group – is that Equinox 2 will amend and supplement its original
required to notify it of certain offers 90 days before ‘Equinox Offer’ (the pricing schedule which became
they come into effect. This requirement, Ofcom claims, effective from 1 October 2021) by introducing new
allows it and the wider industry to assess the offer, rental and connection discounts and certain new terms
with the regulator where necessary having the power and conditions. According to the network operator: ‘In
to intervene to prevent such terms being introduced. particular, Equinox 2 will provide additional commercial
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