Page 110 - SAMENA Trends - October-December 2024

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

lay 100,000 kilometers of fiber for a private contributors are from the private sector. our initiatives, but we’re also encouraging
fibre network, expected to be completed We work collaboratively to ensure value for academia and civil society to collaborate.
in 2025. “When it comes to the Universal money, especially in remote areas that may By involving every stakeholder, we ensure
Service Fund, which we use to extend lack a strong business case.” She added, sustainability is embedded in our projects.”
connectivity to rural areas, the primary “In Kenya, the private sector is essential to

CCP Conducts Phase II Merger Review of PTCL’s Acquisition of Telenor

Pakistan and Orion Towers

The Competition Commission of Pakistan to present their views. During a recent Mustafa Munir Ahmed of Legal Oracles,
(CCP) is conducting an in-depth Phase II hearing, Asif Inam, Chief Operating Officer with Wateen Telecom represented by Mian
Merger Review of PTCL’s acquisition of of Transworld Associates, along with Legal Sami-ud-Din of BNR, and Jazz by Khalid
100% shareholding in Telenor Pakistan Counsel Ms. Rabia Kiyani, emphasized the Ibrahim. The CCP’s team included key
(Private) Limited and Orion Towers need for both preventive and corrective officials such as Shahzad Hussain (Director
(Private) Limited. The review focuses on measures, citing international regulatory General/Registrar), Barrister Ambreen
key aspects of the telecommunications practices from the UK, UAE, and KSA to Abbasi, Hafiz Naeem, Arshad Javed (Legal
sector, including market power safeguard competition through structural Department), Ms. Marryum Pervaiz (HoD
concentration, competitive dynamics, and behavioral remedies. Telenor Pakistan Merger Department), Umer Sheikh (Joint
and the potential impact of the proposed was represented by Vice President Ms. Director), and Noman Ahmed (Assistant
merger. The CCP bench, led by Chairman Advokat Anette Aarset and Counsel Director). The commission’s analysis
Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu and Members Shabbir Harianawala, who defended the will play a crucial role in determining the
Salman Amin and Abdul Rashid Sheikh, is transaction. Previous hearings featured merger’s potential impact on competition
ensuring a thorough and inclusive process, representations from PTCL, led by Senior in Pakistan’s telecommunications sector.
giving all stakeholders the opportunity Counsel Ms. Rahat Kaunain Hassan and

Telstra Pays AUD3M for Emergency Call Failures

Australian operator Telstra paid a those calls by providing the caller
fine of more than AUD3 million ($1.9 details to emergency service
million) and took a number of steps organizations via email and phone
to rectify its processes following a calls, ACMA explained. ACMA
technical disruption at its emergency member and consumer lead
call center. The Australian Samantha Yorke noted it was
Communications and Media concerning the breaches occurred
Authority (ACMA) noted the operator because Telstra neglected to update
updated its backup phone number its backup phone data. Yorke
list and appointed an independent acknowledged Telstra had a strong
consultant to conduct a review after record of compliance in its role as the
the agency found it failed to comply national emergency operator and
with emergency call rules. An made considerable efforts to keep
investigation spotted 473 breaches the public informed during the
of the rules during an incident on 1 outage. She added Telstra took a
March, when Telstra’s call centre had variety of immediate actions when
trouble transferring calls to problems were identified, which “go a
emergency services for 90 minutes. long way to restoring the community’s
It initiated a contingency process to trust in this critical service”. In
transfer calls using a list of backup October, ACMA introduced rules to
numbers, but several were incorrect, ensure mobile subscribers can
resulting in 127 calls not being access emergency services after
passed over. The operator managed operators switch off 3G networks.

110 OCT-DEC 2024