Page 122 - SAMENA Trends - October 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

and decision making, providing vital impetus to the overall began early preparations to enable companies to provide 5G
economic development’. (October 21, 2019) telegeography.com services and exempt companies from annual frequency usage
fees for one year to encourage investment in the sector.” “In the
Oman telecom companies will now be able to provide 5G next five years, 4400 stations will be constructed by Omantel
spectrum services. The Telecommunication Regulatory Authority and Ooredoo and they will conduct workshops to inform relevant
(TRA) announced the details of Oman’s 5G roadmap which will government agencies of the applications in preparation for their
contribute to the development of many sectors such as education, readiness to use it.”
health, logistics and others. TRA officials said, “The authority (October 16, 2019) timesofoman.com

Pakistan

The Telecom Regulator Pakistan Telecommunication Authority base, therefore, maximum number of complaints belong to this
(PTA) has floated two consultation papers at their website namely: segment. Total number of complaints against CMOs by September
Consultation on Identification of Relevant Markets and Significant stood at 5993. In terms of the segregation of complaints on
Market Power Operators (SMP) and Consultation on Unsolicited/ operator basis, a total of 2,409 complaints were received against
Spam Messages/ Calls. The closing dates are November 10, 2019 Jazz which is 40.19% of the total CMO-related complaints.
and November 25, 2019 respectively. Telenor, which has the second largest number of consumers, was
(October 24, 2019) brecorder.com also second with 1,644 complaints i.e. 27.43 percent complaints
were received against it. Ufone had 986 complaints against its
The number of 3G and 4G users in Pakistan reached 72.12 various services which make up 16.45 percent of the total CMO
million by end-September compared to 71.35 million by end- related complaints. Zong stood fourth with 954 complaints i.e.
August 2019, said Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). 15.91 percent of total complaints. The PTA also received 504
The number of mobile phone users in Pakistan reached 161.84 complaints against basic telephony where 498 were addressed
million by end-September compared to 161.79 million by end- during September 2019. Further 793 complaints were received
August, which registered an increase of 0.05 million during the against ISPs and 787 of them were addressed.
period under review. Jazz’s total count for 3G users stood at (October 20, 2019) brecorder.com
12.504 million by end-September compared to 12.769 million by
end-August, registering a decrease of 0.265 million. Jazz 4G user Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in collaboration
numbers jumped from 12.457 million by end-August to 13.008 with GSM Association (GSMA) organized one day Capacity
million by end-September. Zong 3G subscribers decreased from Building training course on “Unlocking Rural Mobile Coverage” at
8.133 million by end-August to 7.965 million by end-September PTA Headquarters, Islamabad. The training course was attended
while the number of 4G users jumped from 13.385 million by by representatives from MoIT, Cabinet Division, PTA, PEMRA, USF
end-August to 13.787 million by end-September. The number and Ignite. The training course focused on expanding mobile
of 3G users of Telenor network decreased from 8.227 million by coverage in rural areas and the role of government-industry in
end-August to 8.133 million by end-September i.e. registering a closing the mobile broadband coverage gap. Mr. Calum Handforth,
decrease of 0.094 million. The number of 4G users jumped from Senior Insights Manager, Connected Society, GSMA delivered the
7.264 million by end-August to 7.613 million by end-September. course. He provided the participants with a greater understanding
Ufone 3G users decreased from 6.997 million by end-August to of strategies to improve rural coverage and innovative models to
6.860 million by end-September. The number of 4G users of Ufone tackle the challenges associated with digital divide. Speaking on
increased from 2.117 million by end-August to 2.249 million by the occasion, Chairman PTA, Maj. General Amir Azeem Bajwa
end-September. Teledensity for cellular mobile decreased from (R) said that the course proved to be a valuable experience, one
76.77 percent to 76.75 percent and broadband subscribers which addressed different key issues. PTA is doing its utmost
reached 74.15 million by end-September compared to 73.42 efforts alongside other stakeholders in supporting economic
million by end-August 2019. The PTA received 7,294 complaints growth and social development by bringing the power of the
from telecom consumers against different telecom operators mobile and Internet to rural communities. The Chairman also
including (cellular operators, PTCL, LDIs, WLL operators and ISPs) thanked GSMA for this collaboration and assured of PTA’s full
as of September 2019. According to PTA data Jazz (Mobilink + support for future programs and trainings. This course was
Warid) leads the chart with 2,409 complaints and Telenor stands delivered under the “PTA-GSMA Centre of Excellence Program for
at second position as the most complained telecom operator Regional Regulatory Training” under which one training course is
with 1,644 complaints. The PTA said that it was able to get conducted on the latest topics of telecommunications and ICTs in
7,282 complaints resolved i.e. 99.84 percent. Cellular mobile every quarter of 2019 and 2020.
subscribers constitute major part of overall telecom subscriber (October 16, 2019) pta.gov.pk

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