Page 117 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Egypt

Telecom Egypt announced on its website that it has submitted a networks in September 2017, and are currently using spectrum
financial and technical offer to the National Telecommunications in the following bands for their respective 4G services: 2100MHz
Regulatory Authority (NTRA) to apply for additional mobile (Vodafone); 900MHz/1800MHz (Orange and Etisalat); and
spectrum in the 2600MHz TDD band with ten-year usage 700MHz/1800MHz (Telecom Egypt). (September 21, 2020) commsupdate.com
rights. The operator stated that the move is aimed at improving
service quality, modernizing infrastructure and increasing its An official telecommunications sector source said that the
reliance on its own network by investing in additional spectrum. National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) will introduce new
Telecom Egypt noted that it is awaiting the NTRA’s decision on frequencies to Egypt’s four mobile operators. The source added
the frequency application. The previous day, Egyptian news site that the new frequencies will be offered to Vodafone, Orange,
Youm7 reported that Vodafone Egypt and Telecom Egypt had Etisalat, and We in the form of an auction. This will occur over two
both applied for new frequencies being offered by the NTRA. A packages, the first of which will see 40 MHz of frequencies offered
regulatory official confirmed to Youm7 that Telecom and Vodafone for $600m, and another package of 20 MHz of frequencies offered
were bidding on a total of 60MHz of 2600MHz TDD frequencies, for $300m. The source also said that the 10 MHz of frequencies
while the country’s other two cellcos Orange and Etisalat had not were valued at $150m. In 2016, Egypt’s mobile companies
applied. Results of the bids will be announced ‘as soon as they obtained a package of new frequencies in addition to obtaining
are approved’, the official added. Earlier in the week, Daily News the required licenses to provide 4G services. Orange obtained the
Egypt quoted an NTRA source stating that the regulator was 4G license in addition to 10 MHz of frequencies for $495m, half of
offering new frequencies priced at USD150 million per 10MHz, which was paid in Egyptian pounds. TE obtained the 4G license in
aiming to sell one 40MHz block alongside a 20MHz allocation, addition to 10 MHz of frequencies, for $546.7m, half of which was
with a competitive auction to be held in the event of multiple bids paid in local currency. Vodafone Egypt obtained the 4G license
for a block. Reportedly, a further 20MHz block is earmarked for and 5 MHz of frequencies for $346m, half of which were paid in
auction at a later date. TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database US dollar.
notes that all four Egyptian mobile operators launched 4G LTE (September 19, 2020) dailynewsegypt.com

Iran

The Deputy Minister Communications and Information more than before. Pointing to Iran-Russia's growing relations,
Technology Hamid Fattahi and Russian Deputy Minister of he reiterated that the ministries of both sides and the Ministers
Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Maxim of Iran and Russia had several meetings in this area that the
Parshin met and held talks online about cooperation on artificial most important consequences of these meetings were held of
intelligence, Trend reports citing İRNA. The second meeting the quadrilateral meeting among Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, and
of Iran-Russia Cooperation Group on Communications and Turkey. He noted that two documents related to the field of
Information Technology was held online. During the online communications and information and space technology were
meeting, Iran's official expressed Iran's interest in cooperation in signed by the parties in the first meeting. Referring to Russia's
the fields of artificial intelligence, e-government, smart city, and capacities and capabilities in the field of communications and
the development of modern businesses with Russia. Referring information technology, Parshin said that Russia can share these
to the COVID-19 pandemic in the world, Fattahi said that this experiences with Iran in the fields of electronic governance and
pandemic has made the cooperation of countries in the field smart cities.
of communications and information technology a necessity (September 3, 2020) en.irna.ir

Iraq

France’s Orange Group has launched legal proceedings against of its investment in Korek Telecom’. The Financial Times writes
the Iraqi government over what it describes as ‘the expropriation that the telco has started arbitration proceedings with the World

117 SEP-OCT 2020