Page 87 - SAMENA Trends - November 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The government has proposed that financial aid for the matter will be discussed in a plenary session again.
construction of high-speed broadband will ‘begin anew’ With the plan being for the legislation underpinning
in 2021. In a press release, the Ministry of Transport the state aid scheme to enter into force on 1 January
and Communications (Liikenne-ja viestintaministerio, 2021, the ministry has said it expects the Finnish
Finland MoTC) said that EUR5 million (USD5.9 million) has Transport and Communications Agency (Liikenne-
been allocated for the construction of broadband
ja viestintavirasto, Traficom) to begin accepting
networks next year. Under a proposed aid scheme, the applications for aid from the start of 2021. Meanwhile,
ministry expects around 10,000 new households could in related news, the MoTC has revealed that, working
gain access to high speed broadband by targeting in conjunction with the Finnish Confederation of
areas where no commercial infrastructure is expected Telecommunications and Information Technology
to be deployed before 2025. According to the MoTC, a (FiCom) and local communications providers DNA,
minimum connection speed to qualify for aid is to be Elisa and Telia Finland, a joint commitment has
set out in a government decree, while it is understood been struck to improve broadband connectivity in
that both fixed and fixed-wireless broadband the country. According to the ministry, the aim of the
technologies will be permitted under the scheme. Aid commitment is to guarantee the availability of high
for network construction will reportedly be granted for quality broadband to all, and to that end the operators
up to 66% of the eligible costs, with both the central involved have undertaken to develop infrastructure
government and local municipalities contributing so as to ensure that all households in Finland’s cities
towards the funding. In terms of next steps, the MoTC and sparsely populated areas have access to downlink
noted that a referral debate on the proposals has been speeds of 100Mbps by 2025. The MoTC has said that
submitted to parliament and will be conducted in an all parties involved will conduct annual reviews to see
upcoming plenary session. Subsequently, the proposal whether the commitment goals are being met.
will then be sent to the Transport and Communications (November 13, 2020) commsupdate.com
Committee, and once that body’s report is ready, the

French telecoms watchdog ARCEP has revealed the block (at a price of EUR350 million payable in equal
results of its positioning auction held on 20 October, instalments over 15 years) in exchange for optional
which aimed to determine the position of the secured commitments, which include the deployment of 3,000
blocks in the 3.4GHz-3.8GHz band. In the 5G auction 5G sites by the end of 2022, 8,000 (2024) and 10,500
France held at the beginning of October, Orange secured 90MHz (2025). ARCEP also provides for a mechanism to
ensure that non-urban areas will also benefit from
in the band for EUR854 million (USD998.7 million),
followed by Altice (80MHz, EUR728 million), Bouygues these deployments. Thus, 25% of the 3.4GHz-3.8GHz
Telecom (70MHz, EUR602 million) and Free Mobile band sites in 2024 and 2025 will have to be deployed
(70MHz, EUR602 million). Following the positioning in areas outside the main agglomerations. By 2022, at
auction, the allocated spectrum is as follows: least 75% of the sites must have a bit rate of at least
• Altice France (SFR): 3490MHz-3570MHz 240Mbps, which will be gradually extended to all sites
• Bouygues: 3570MHz-3640MHz by 2030. Operators will also be required to activate
• Free Mobile: 3640MHz-3710MHz (EUR3.096 million) network slicing by 2023 at the latest.
• Orange: 3710MHz-3800MHz (November 5, 2020) commsupdate.com
All four operators have been awarded one 50MHz

The Ministry of Communications (MoC) through the traditional cell sites. Speaking at the event, Ghana’s
Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful,
(GIFEC), in partnership with the Export-Import Bank said: ‘No one, irrespective of their financial, economic,
of China and Huawei Technologies Ghana officially social status or location should be deprived of access
Ghana launched the Rural Telephony Project at Atwereboana to quality telephony services hence the government’s
keen interest in making sure that the project is delivered
in the Ashanti Region on 4 November. The initiative
aims to provide voice and data services to more successfully and they intend to roll out 1,000 sites by
than 3.4 million people in underserved and unserved December. I must congratulate GIFEC, Huawei and
communities by commissioning 2,016 Rural Star sites the mobile network operators for working together to
developed by Huawei, thereby extending national mobile deliver this project. As policymakers, we will continue
coverage from 83% to 95% and greatly accelerating to provide leadership in implementing solutions and
local economic development. The solution is expected programmes to facilitate rural connectivity.’
to save the government up to 70% of the cost of (November 16, 2020) commsupdate.com

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