Page 103 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

New Zealand Commerce Commission Releases Guidance on Telecom

Operator Obligations and Monitoring

The Commerce Commission has released Commission is now examining whether the as quickly as possible. It is also urging
guidance about how it will monitor and non-price terms on which these products retailers to raise issues with the local fiber
enforce obligations on telecoms network are offered meet this requirement. The companies (LFCs) where they believe the
operators to offer fiber and other wholesale regulator is encouraging fiber providers product offerings are not meeting the
services to retailers on an equivalent and to review their product offerings against required obligations.
non-discriminatory basis. Following a call the guidance and implement any changes
for evidence on draft proposals in May, the necessary to bring them into compliance

Australian Government Investing To Support 5G Development

Almost AUD30 million (USD22 million) 5G Innovation Initiative, to invest in 5G providing AUD7.1 million to the Australian
is being invested by the Australian commercial trials and testbeds in key Communications and Media Authority
government to improve the allocation and industry sectors such as agriculture, (ACMA) to conduct auctions Commenting,
management of spectrum, and to trial 5G mining, logistics and manufacturing; Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety
use across different industry sectors. The AUD1.8 million over two years to invest and the Arts, Paul Fletcher, said: ‘Spectrum
funding initiative was revealed as part of in systems that allow more efficient is a critical component in the rollout of 5G.
the government’s just-announced ‘Job spectrum allocation; and AUD5.3 million These investments will make the allocation
Maker Digital Business Plan’, and specific over two years to update and simplify the of spectrum more efficient and reduce red
measures include: AUD22.1 million for country’s digital spectrum license system. tape, so that Australians can experience
the establishment of the Australian Additionally, the government has said it is the benefits of 5G sooner.’

PTA Set to Auction Additional 3G, 4G Spectrum to Telcos

e-commerce and e-health. The high demand for mobile internet
has compromised the quality of service for broadband internet.
PTA, through its consultant, will conduct a study on the available
spectrum in 1800 & 2100 MHz in Pakistan with future projections
for the next 3 years, targeting to achieve overall economic growth
and incentivize foreign investment, considering the impact of past
auctions, renewals and other relevant factors. The study will help
devise a strategy for available spectrum auction in the light of
international best practices suited for Pakistan’s Telecom market.
The aim will be to assign the spectrum in a manner to make block
size of contiguous frequencies by re-farming existing assignments
to make standardized block sizes. The auction drive entitled
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has initiated a “Spectrum Auction Pakistan 2020-21” is focused on regulatory
drive to auction the available spectrum from 1800 & 2100 MHz consistency for the investors, mobile broadband proliferation, and
bands to cellular mobile phone operators. The auction will be held future sustainability of the Cellular Mobile Communication Sector
in the coming months, as the telecom regulator wants to hire a with an overall economic growth of Pakistan. PTA will carry out
consultant for this process to carry out research on the industry, spectrum rationalization, re-adjustment plan (850, 900, 1800
the design of the spectrum, and the potential price of the spectrum. & 2100 MHz) with an objective to maximize efficient spectrum
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread in the country, the demand for utilization in line with international best practices for spectrum
broadband internet has risen in a staggering way, including the assignments. At present, Zong, Telenor and Jazz maintain 2
use of the internet by old and new users. The country witnessed blocks of 5 MHz each. Ufone manages 1 block of 5MHz. In 2017,
various new trends including increasing demand for content Jazz was last awarded a spectrum with a 4G license at $295
related to entertainment, online classes and work-from-home, million.

103 SEP-OCT 2020