Page 141 - SAMENA Trends - October 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

A change to Swedish law may make it possible for the The Post and Telecom Agency (PTS) says the country
country’s military and security forces to veto telecoms will need an additional SEK22 billion (USD2.2 billion)
equipment contracts if a particular supplier is deemed in investment if it is to meet a goal of having 100Mbps
to pose a threat to national security. The move is services available nationwide by 2025. The extra
Sweden thought to be aimed at Huawei of China which has funding will have to come on top of what commercial
been accused of producing equipment which could operators have committed to spending, it says. It
allow spying on behalf of the Chinese government. added that its figures are based on the deployment
The new legislation is expected to be pushed through of a national fiber-optic network, and utilizing other
Parliament this autumn. A report cites Minister of technologies such as wireless could help to lower the
Infrastructure Anders Ygeman as saying: ‘Security total. In a statement PTS Director General Dan Sjoblom
in radio communications and mobile networks is wrote: ‘In the future, the involvement of commercial
becoming increasingly important. The amendment to actors needs to be met by governmental efforts
the law makes it possible to deny a permit if a supplier through broadband support in order for us to arrive [at
poses a threat to Swedish security. It also provides the target]. In addition, we need to take a closer look at
the opportunity to revoke permits from operators.’ the extent to which wireless technology in the future
He added: ‘We simply cannot allow dangerous can contribute to as many people as possible being
components. The government and I have seen a value able to access 100Mbps over the next few years.’
in having the new legislation in place before the auction (October 3, 2019) telegeography.com
for new 5G licenses is held in early 2020.’
(October 15, 2019) SVT

The Smart Telecom has shut down its mobile Services (IPS) Kenya (a division of the Aga Khan
operations in Tanzania after submitting a business Fund for Economic Development) and Cyprus-based,
closure request to the Tanzania Communications Russian-owned Timeturns Holdings (49%). It launched
Regulatory Authority (TCRA). The request for an its network in March 2014, utilizing the existing
immediate closure was submitted to the watchdog in nationwide technology-neutral mobile license awarded
Tanzania March 2019, but the TCRA gave Smart a period of three in 2009 to CDMA operator Benson Informatics (BOL),
months to enable customers to use up any outstanding and switched on a 4G LTE service in August 2015.
credit. The mobile market’s smallest player, Smart (October 9, 2019) The Citizen
was a partnership between Industrial Promotion

Thailand’s telecoms regulator announced details of 2.6GHz spectrum in 2016, targeting 2017 to conduct
5G spectrum auctions scheduled to begin in February the process, but the sale was subsequently pushed
2020, with licenses to be issued across four bands and back with no alternative announced. In January, it
rollouts to start in March. The National Broadcasting outlined plans for an auction across the 6GHz, 28GHz
and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) said and 2.6GHz bands, establishing a dedicated team to
Thailand it will auction spectrum first in the 2600MHz and draft the conditions for this. Operators dtac, TOT and
26GHz bands, and later in the 700MHz and 1800MHz CAT Telecom later joined forces to launch 5G testbeds
bands. A total of 190MHz of 2600MHz airwaves will at two universities. (October 24, 2019) The Nation
be released in 10MHz blocks, while 2700MHz in the
26GHz band will be divided in 100MHz blocks, the The state-owned enterprise TOT has been banned
newspaper said. The reserve price for these two bands from participating in all future projects commissioned
will be announced at the end of October. Operators will by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications
be restricted to a maximum 100MHz in the 2600MHz Commission (NBTC), after the watchdog cancelled
band and 1200MHz in 26GHz. In mid-2020, three three of its contracts under the Universal Service
5MHz blocks of 700MHz spectrum will be sold at a Obligation (USO) Net project, citing contractual
reserve price of THB17.58 billion ($581 million) per violations. TOT was awarded the contracts – for the
block. The 1800MHz spectrum will be split into seven provision of low-cost fixed broadband services in the
5MHz blocks, with a starting price of THB12.5 billion North Zone 2 (worth THB2.1 billion [USD68.6 million])
per license. NBTC plans to finalize the auction details and the North Eastern province (THB2.4 billion), and
next month and invite bidders by 20 December, The the provision of cellular services in the North Zone 1
Nation wrote. This is NBTC’s third attempt at holding (THB1.8 billion) – in an e-auction in 2017. Following an
5G spectrum auctions. It first detailed plans to auction audit of the committee monitoring the USO Net project,

141 OCTOBER 2019