Page 68 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2022

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WHOLESALE NEWS

MTN, CamTel Implement First Phase of National Roaming

MTN Cameroon and state-owned CamTel (Blue) have announced
the commercial launch of national roaming in Nkoteng, after
a strategic agreement was signed between the two telecoms
operators earlier this year. The move will allow CamTel to expand
2G, 3G and 4G coverage in areas of the country that are not already
covered by its network. In the first phase, roaming has been enabled
locally at more than 200 mobile sites, with this coverage set to
be progressively expanded in the near future. ‘We are extremely
pleased with the launch of local roaming on MTN Cameroon’s
network. This service will allow CamTel customers to access
network service in areas already covered by MTN where CamTel
is not currently present,’ stated CamTel’s General Director Judith
Yah Sunday Achidi, adding: ‘At CamTel, we have the ambition to
continue to grow our mobile telephony service and footprint and
selected MTN Cameroon as a partner in this regard. We look
forward to more of our customers enjoying voice and data services
across various regions.’

4ka Still Discussing New Roaming Deal with Orange

Slovak mobile operator SWAN, which trades under the 4ka brand, is
still negotiating a new roaming agreement with Orange even though
the existing arrangement runs out at the end of this year. A report
from Zive.sk says that 4ka customers are being guaranteed that
they will not lose 2G and 3G connectivity via the Orange network
even if the new deal is not signed by year-end. According to the
report, the negotiations are being held up because 4ka now wants
access to the Orange 4G network, while Orange had not expected
this to take place until 2025. 4ka, which launched in 2015, has
rolled out its own 4G infrastructure to around 85% of the country
and currently uses the Orange 2G and 3G networks to connect calls
in other areas.

Telefonica concludes sale of 45% of wholesale fiber unit Bluevia

Telefonica has announced the closing of the sale of 45% of Bluevia, IV) – has officially started operations after the completion of the
the network operator that offers wholesale FTTH access and transaction. A press release confirmed: ‘Beginning with an initial
other fiber connectivity services in Spain, for a cash consideration footprint of 3.9 million premises, acquired from Telefonica Espana,
of EUR1.02 billion (USD1.08 billion). Further, the latter – a joint Bluevía will expand its network to reach five million premises by the
venture of Telefonica Espana, Telefonica Infra and the consortium end of 2024, bringing ultra-fast fiber broadband access, a greener
formed by Credit Agricole Assurances and Vauban Infrastructure technology, to areas that currently do not have this service.’
Partners (through its managed fund Core Infrastructure Fund

68 NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 2022