Page 90 - SAMENA Trends - November 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

an application from mobile operator Bite seeking as a border country, due to its special geographical
approval for the acquisition of MEZON. The RRT also position, faces the biggest additional challenges in
noted that in the meantime it has allocated 3.5GHz preparing for the arrival of 5G – we must coordinate our
band 5G spectrum on a temporary, non-commercial spectrum resources with neighboring countries, pay
basis to cellco Telia Lietuva for testing (see separate great attention to the protection of our state’s interests.
CommsUpdate article today, 11 November 2020), whilst To our knowledge, all operators are actively preparing
stressing that spectrum allocated via the eventual 5G for the smoothest and fastest possible emergence of
license auction(s) will be technology-neutral, allowing new technology in Lithuania. Tests of 5G technology,
joint 4G/5G development as appropriate. Regarding measurements of radio signals from base stations will
26GHz mmWave 5G spectrum, the RRT said that an provide additional arguments in negotiations with the
auction for this band will be announced ‘when it is clear administrations of neighboring countries.’
whether there is market demand.’ RRT Deputy Director (November 11, 2020) commsupdate.com
Mindaugas Zilinskas noted additionally: ‘Lithuania,

The government of Madagascar has reduced the conducted by the ministry which showed that a decline
excise duty levied on telecommunications from 10% in the excise duty will benefit consumers at all levels.
to 8% in the 2021 Finance Law. According to Ranesa The government will closely monitor telcos to ensure
Firiana Rakotonjanahary, the Secretary General of the the measure, which reverses the rate hike to 10%
Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital introduced in the 2020 Finance Law, results in lower
Madagascar Development (MPTDN), the decision followed a study prices for customers. (November 20, 2020) Agence Ecofin

The National Communications Institute of Mozambique that the operator or provider of telecommunications
(INCM Communications Regulatory Authority, ARECOM) services interrupts or blocks the service provided
issued a statement urging users of unregistered or to certain subscribers, when it finds that there are
‘irregularly registered’ mobile SIM cards to correctly subscribers on the system not registered under the
Mozambique register their SIMs by 6 November 2020 ‘under penalty terms of this regulation.’ In relation to the links between
unregistered SIM usage and illegal activity such as
of blocking the number and interruption of access to
all services.’ SIM registration has been compulsory SIM box fraud (where international calls are routed
in Mozambique since 2015, but authorities have via a VoIP gateway to disguise them as local traffic),
repeatedly voiced concerns that mobile operators have the INCM’s latest statement added that it ‘is currently
not adhered to the regulations. The INCM highlights developing platforms for receiving, processing and
Article 17 (Service Interruption) of the Regulation forwarding reports of fraud, defamation, among other
for the Registration and Activation of the Mobile crimes perpetrated via mobile phone. These have
Telephone Service Subscriber Identification Modules caused enormous financial and moral damage to
(approved by Decree No. 18 of 28 August 2015) which citizens, institutions and other entities.’
stipulates: ‘The Regulatory Authority shall determine (November 3, 2020) commsupdate.com

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) would follow in early 2022. On spectrum, the NCC
has published a consultation document on plans for identified the following ranges for the first phase of 5G
the deployment of 5G technology in the West African deployment, alongside details of their current usage
Nigeria country and has invited feedback from industry and plans for their release, recovery, refarming and/
or replanning: 2100MHz band; 2300MHz-2400MHz;
stakeholders. The paper sets out the watchdog’s views
regarding potential changes to the nation’s regulatory 2600MHz-2690MHz; 3300MHz-3400MHz; 3500MHz-
framework to address the unique challenges of 5G 3600MHz; 3600MHz-3700MHz; 4800MHz-4900MHz;
technology, the spectrum that will be made available 24.25GHz-27.5GHz; and 37.0GHz-43.5GHz. For the
for 5G, and a schedule for the rollout of the platform. second phase of the rollout, meanwhile, the NCC noted
Under the current plan, 5G spectrum auctions would that it would consider the release of some or all of the
take place in Q2 2021 and Q4 2021, with the airwaves following bands, based on New Radio support, maturity
assigned in Q1 2022 and commercialized by Q4 and device availability: 1427MHz-1518MHz; 45.5GHz-
2022. The document suggests that the deployment 47GHz; 47.2GHz-48.2GHz; and 66GHz-71GHz.
of Standalone (SA) 5G should begin in late 2021, (November 12, 2020) commsupdate.com
whilst the rollout of the Non-Standalone (NSA) variant

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