Page 109 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Ministry Warns Of Continued Sale of Pre-Registered Sims

Myanmar’s Ministry of Transport and Com- on the sale and registration of SIMs in ear-
munications (MOTC) has issued a fresh ly 2019 by limiting the number of SIMs that
warning to customers not to purchase SIM could be linked to a National Registration
cards that have been pre-registered, less than Card (NRC) to just two in an attempt to close
three months after the authority blocked ‘mil- a loophole created by previous legislation. In
lions’ of SIMs. In a statement from the MOTC, February 2020 it launched a re-registration
the regulator noted that pre-registered SIMs drive, giving users until 30 June 2020 to cor-
were still being sold illegally by vendors. As rectly register their SIMs with their provider,
noted by TeleGeography’s GlobalComms following which the unregistered SIMs were
Database, the MOTC tightened restrictions disconnected.

Supreme Court Allows Ten Years to Pay AGR Dues; Passes Spectrum Sale

Issue to NCLT

India’s Supreme Court has set a ten-year Airtel (owing INR260 billion) had lobbied Court also ruled that the National Company
time limit for major telecoms operators for 15-year payment schedules, while the Law Tribunal (NCLT) will decide whether or
to pay back their Adjusted Gross Revenue DoT itself had previously suggested a 20- not wireless spectrum held by bankrupt
(AGR)-related dues to the Department of year timeframe. Tata Teleservices – which telcos can be sold under the Insolvency
Telecommunications (DoT), with an initial has already exited India’s cellular sector and Bankruptcy Code. Insolvent operators
10% instalment to be paid by 31 March 2021 – is liable for INR148 billion in AGR dues Reliance Communications (RCOM) and
followed by annual February payments after the apex court refused to allow any Aircel have found buyers for their spectrum,
up to 2031. Vodafone Idea (which owes debt recalculation, the Indian Express but the DoT has refused to approve the
INR504 billion [USD6.9 billion]) and Bharti reported. In a related matter, the Supreme sales unless AGR dues are cleared.

High Court Dismisses MTN’s Appeal against SMP Designation

The Commercial High Court in Accra has NCA provided documentary evidence sufficient evidence of consultation for
dismissed MTN Ghana’s case challenging that it had held consultations since 2015, the NCA to act as it did, and that the
the decision announced by the National which culminated in research conducted opportunity offered to MTN to make inputs
Communications Authority (NCA) in June by Analysys Mason in 2016 that found by way of data fulfilled the requirement of
to declare the mobile network operator MTN to have market share of around due process and procedural fairness. The
(MNO) as having significant market power 46%. The NCA further argued that MTN court, however, added that MTN is still
(SMP). According to the NCA, MTN had has since increased its market share to permitted by law to engage the NCA on
argued the declaration was in breach approximately 58% of the voice market and implementation.
of its right to be heard and a violation 68% of the data market. While dismissing
of procedural fairness. In response the the suit, the court held that there was

Third Omani MNO Expected To Launch In 2021

Oman Future Telecommunications led by Itqan Tech Development, secured the and develop a number of new services
(OFT) is now expected to launch as the third MNO License in October 2017 after using the Vodafone brand in Oman. As
Sultanate’s third mobile network operator the tender process was cancelled, and in well as Itqan Tech Development, the OFT
(MNO) next year, according to a report by September last year it signed a strategic consortium is said to include pension
Times of Oman, which cites a social media partnership agreement with Vodafone funds, government investment funds and
comment from the Ministry of Transport, Group. Under the 15-year non-equity investors from the private sector.
Communications and Information agreement, Vodafone and OFT will work
Technology. The OFT consortium, which is together to roll out a new mobile network

109 SEP-OCT 2020