Page 128 - SAMENA Trends - Oct-Nov 2023

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) receiving their concession and must deploy at least
has issued Decision No. 2041/QD-BTTTT approving 3,000 5G base stations operating in the 2.6GHz band
the plan to hold an auction for licenses to use radio within two years. The starting price for spectrum
frequencies in the 2500MHz-2600MHz band for mobile licenses is VND3.98 trillion (USD161.7 million).
services. According to the plan, spectrum licenses will According to the MIC, the auction is scheduled to be
be valid for up to 15 years and holders are obliged to held by the end of the year.
launch commercial services within twelve months of (October 30, 2023) www.mobileworldlive.com

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory said. In the period (since the last tariff review) the
Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has approved a two- Zimbabwe dollar has depreciated by more than 800
fold increase in the country’s telecommunications percent, from ZWL$687 to ZWL5,670 to the US dollar, on
companies’ Zim dollar (ZWL) tariffs. US dollar tariffs, the official market. The three mobile telecommunications
Zimbabwe however, remain unchanged. The latest increase in companies in Zimbabwe – Econet, NetOne, and Telecel
all announced new tariffs effective this week, that will
headline and promotional tariffs comes after the local
dollar tariffs were last reviewed in February 2023. Since see the price of voice calls, data and SMS double from
then, key economic indicators of the industry’s viability, the pre-increase period. POTRAZ has said the tariff
including a stable currency and the price of electricity adjustment was necessary to allow mobile operators to
and fuel, have experienced significant fluctuations, maintain and improve their services. The regulator also
resulting in the need for a review of the ZWL tariff for noted that the new tariffs were still below the regional
telecommunications companies, industry players have average. (October 25, 2023) www.chronicle.co.zw

128 OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2023