Page 132 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

REGULATORY ACTIVITIES BEYOND

THE SAMENA REGION

Leonel Augusto, Chairman of the Angolan Institute end-September, and aimed to launch services ‘in
of Communications (Instituto Angolano das mid-2021’. Earlier in July, Africell received official
Comunicacoes, INACOM), has indicated that new confirmation of its selection as Angola’s fourth Unified
mobile market entrant Africell should launch Global operating licensee, enabling infrastructure-
Angola commercial services in the second half of 2021, based mobile, internet, fixed line and pay-TV services.
Mobile World Live wrote, citing a report from Jornal de Angola’s mobile market is currently a duopoly of Unitel
Angola. Augusto stated that Africell is following the and Movicel, while state-backed fixed line operator
procedures required to exercise its right to operate, Angola Telecom holds the third Unified Global license
including completing negotiations and establishing and is planning to share infrastructure with Africell,
final terms with the state authorities, with ‘the majority’ having scrapped a proposed mobile partnership with
of the stages now complete and INACOM currently Egyptian-backed Angorascom, TeleGeography notes.
in the process of finalizing details of the concession The Lebanese-backed, UK-headquartered Africell
contract. As previously reported by CommsUpdate, in group operates mobile networks in Gambia, Sierra
July Africell said it hoped to conclude final negotiations Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
with Angola’s government on licensing terms by (September 29, 2020) commsupdate.com

According to the Australian Communications and Media April 2021. It has been claimed that offering instalment
Authority (ACMA), the deployment of 5G technology payments will give bidders greater flexibility in light
in Australia ‘is a step closer’ as it prepares to begin of the challenging circumstances created by the
accepting applications for millimeter wave (mmWave) COVID-19 pandemic. Further, it will also reportedly
Australia spectrum in the 26GHz and 28GHz bands. The ACMA allow greater upfront investment in 5G technology and
is facilitating a mix of license types in the 26GHz and the additional infrastructure that will be required to use
28GHz bands, including area-wide apparatus licenses the 26GHz band. (October 60, 2020) commsupdate.com
(AWLs), spectrum licensing in the 26GHz band for
dense deployment of networks in high population The Australian Communications and Media Authority
areas, and class licenses for so-called ‘ubiquitous’ (ACMA) has confirmed enhancements to National
low power devices. According to the regulator, AWLs Broadband Network (NBN) consumer experience
will provide users with a more flexible license type that rules, with a view to protecting Australians during the
can be scalable to a licensee’s needs, and the ACMA final phase of the NBN migration. According to the
has now confirmed that the allocation and issuing regulator the improvements, which follow its recent
of AWLs will occur in the 26GHz and 28GHz bands review, will benefit both consumers and telco providers,
(24.7GHz-25.1GHz and 27.5GHz–30GHz, Australia- and the enhancements will expand the number of
wide) in November 2020 (‘Round 1’). Applications businesses protected by the rules. Specifically, the
for Round 1 open on 4 November 2020 and close at ACMA has confirmed that from 14 December 2020,
5 PM on 17 November 2020. Meanwhile, a further businesses with an estimated annual telco spend of
AWL allocation is to be carried out after a spectrum up to AUD40,000 (USD28,351) will now be covered, up
auction, which is scheduled for H1 2021 (‘Round 2’), from AUD20,000 previously. Meanwhile, it has been
for AWLs in the frequency range 25.1GHz–27.5GHz suggested that the changes will also make the rules
in all areas other than those designated for spectrum clearer and more flexible for telco providers, without
licensing. In separate but related news, the Department sacrificing important consumer safeguards. Rules
of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development covering the NBN migration continue to be considered
and Communications (DITRDC) has confirmed that ‘essential’ by the ACMA, which notes that 1.5 million
successful bidders in next year’s 26GHz spectrum premises are predicted to move to the NBN over the
auction will be able to pay their spectrum access current and the next two financial years. As such, it said
charges in five instalments, to support the rollout of that enhancements have been made to the following
5G infrastructure. In a press release, the DITRDC said rules: Service Continuity Standard; Service Migration
that the communications minister has directed the Determination; Consumer Information Standard; and
ACMA to implement this decision in its preparations Complaints Handling Standard. With the enhancements
for the auction, which is expected to get underway in to the Service Continuity Standard and Service

132 SEP-OCT 2020