Page 119 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

that caretaker telecoms minister Talal Hawat is in discussions Kuwait’s Zain Group – is expected to be transferred to the MoT by
this week with the Media and Telecommunications Committee on the end of September, with Hawat stating yesterday (7 September
the handover of mobile networks to the state. Caretaker Minister 2020): ‘With the management of Alfa fully returning to the custody
of Industry Hussein al-Hajj Hassan was quoted as saying: ‘The of the telecommunications ministry, we have accomplished
next government is the one that will decide on the management an important step that will be entirely complete with the return
process of the sector, but we must benefit from the experience of of the management of Touch, which is expected very soon.’
past years and the mistakes that were made in order to prevent TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database notes that Egyptian-
corruption and waste.’ owned Orascom Telecom Lebanon (OTL) has managed Alfa (MIC
(October 20, 2020) commsupdate.com 1) on behalf of its sole owner the Lebanese government since
February 2009. Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris’ Orascom
One of Lebanon’s two state-owned mobile network operators, Investment Holding (OIH, formerly Orascom Telecom Media &
Alfa (registered as Mobile Interim Company 1 [MIC 1]), is Technology Holding) is the owner of OTL. Touch Lebanon (MIC
now officially managed by the government via the Ministry of 2) is also wholly state-owned, but since June 2004 has been
Telecommunications (MoT) in accordance with the Lebanese managed on behalf of the government by Zain Group, which owns
Cabinet’s resolution of 5 May 2020, reports news site The961. 100% of the local management firm Mobile Telecommunications
com. Alfa’s existing Egyptian private sector management team Company Lebanon. OIH also confirmed the resignation of Alfa’s
confirmed the changeover. Telecoms minister Talal Hawat noted current board of directors and ‘the election of a new board of
that the handover was supposed to take place earlier this year directors named by the Ministry of Telecommunications’.
but was delayed, firstly due to the COVID-19 crisis and then as a (September 8, 2020) commsupdate.com
result of the devastating Beirut Port explosion. The management
of rival cellco Touch Lebanon (MIC 2) – currently managed by

Morocco

Morocco has developed one of the most advanced reach and capabilities, and the preference among consumers
telecommunications markets in Africa, supported by the to adopt mobile solutions for both voice and data. This report
government’s Maroc Digital 2020 strategy to encourage the analyses Morocco’s fixed-line, broadband and mobile telephony
development of a digital economy and on the National Broadband sectors, including statistics, assessments of recent regulatory
Plan which aims to provide fixed or mobile broadband access to measures, details on licensing regimes and spectrum auctions,
the entire population by 2022. The country had the fastest mobile and profiles of the major players. The report also includes a
broadband data rates in Africa as of June 2020, a testament range of subscriber forecasts to 2025. BuddeComm notes that
to investments made by the MNOs over the years. The part- the outbreak of the Coronavirus in 2020 is having a significant
privatized incumbent telco Maroc Telecom remains the dominant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the
player in the fixed-line sector though it has effective competition coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to
in the mobile sector. The fixed-line broadband market remains experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may
dominated by Maroc Telecom. In February 2020 the company also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows
was heavily fined for failing to enable competitor access to its when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure. Overall
DSL infrastructure, but despite these regulatory efforts to enforce progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some
LLU and wholesale pricing there is little in the way of access to countries. On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services
its networks and as a result the fixed-line broadband market has and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-
not developed to its potential. The introduction and extension scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable
of mobile broadband services has gone far to improving access incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both
nationally. Mobile internet by early 2020 accounted for 93.3% of for general communication as well as a tool for home-working,
all internet connections, leaving Maroc Telecom’s DSL service will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should
with most of the remainder. The dominance of mobile internet be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth.
access is likely to continue given the improvements in LTE (September 26, 2020) developingtelecoms.com

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