Page 149 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Telecommunications regulator the Independent back in July was delayed. ICASA said the delay was
Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) said it is due, in part, to the emergency spectrum allocation
inviting applications from mobile operators to bid for given by the government to allow network operators
high-speed broadband spectrum from October 2 and to cope with increased communications demand due
South Africa announced prices for 5G spectrum. "The authority will to Covid-19 and lockdowns. Additionally, the authority
had been finalizing terms around how the WOAN would
make available 406 MHz of spectrum for the provision
of mobile broadband services in South Africa," work, and the government had still been appointing
Independent Communications Authority of South new councilors — a process recently concluded. “In
Africa (ICASA) chairperson Keabetswe Modimoeng light of the time lost as a result of the delay in the
told journalists. (September 30, 2020) sowetanlive.co.za issuing of the ITAs, the auction of the high-demand
spectrum, which was originally contemplated to take
Telecommunications regulator the Independent place during December 2020, will be completed by no
Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) says it has later than March 31 2021,” said the authority. ICASA
had to delay the issuing of new spectrum to March says it will issue an invitation to network operators
2021. ICASA said the invitation to apply (ITA) for to take part in the long awaited auction by the end
both the wireless open access network (WOAN) and of September. A glimmer of hope for new spectrum
the international mobile telecommunications (IMT) came about earlier in 2020 as the government issued
spectrum, also known as high-demand spectrum, additional temporary allocation to operators such as
would be published “no later than 30 September 2020.” MTN, Telkom, Vodacom, Rain and Liquid Telecom in
Spectrum refers to the radio frequencies on which the hopes of coping with increased communications
data and information are carried. Mobile operators demand because of Covid-19. Vodacom and MTN have
have long argued that access to spectrum will help already used this to launch commercial 5G services.
reduce the cost of mobile data in SA because it will The ITA is also important because it would give industry
allow the companies to cover a wider geographic area players guidance on prices for the auction, which still
with existing towers while carrying more data traffic. remain unclear. A previous ITA was scrapped in 2018
SA’s last big set of spectrum was allocated in 2004 after squabbles between the regulator and Minister of
and 2005, enabling Vodacom and MTN to roll out their Telecommunications and Postal Services Siyabonga
3G networks. Cell C followed in 2011. New spectrum Cwele. That ITA did indicate that a minimum bidding
had been slated to be allocated in December 2020, but price at auction would be about R3bn.
the ITA for the auction, expected to have been issued (September 6, 2020) businesslive.co.za

South Korea's telecommunications regulator said that it disease.
will inspect the country's three major telecom operators (September 6, 2020) koreaherald.com
on their handling of user location data over concerns
of mismanagement. The Korea Communications A new taskforce has been launched by South Korea’s
South Korea Commission (KCC) said the planned inspections of SK Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the country’s
three mobile network operators (MNOs) – SK Telecom,
Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. are meant to
check whether they properly manage location data to KT Corp and LG Uplus – with a view to helping expand
ensure user rights. Under local laws, telecom operators 5G coverage into rural areas. The initiative aims to
can collect and manage user location data for a certain enable network sharing between the three cellcos
period of time, only after receiving user consent, in areas of low population density. Each MNO will
according to the KCC. The move comes amid growing reportedly roll out infrastructure in a designated area,
privacy concerns after the telecom operators handed with access to this then being opened up to the other
over location data of individuals who participated in two operators, once a final agreement regarding the
a mass demonstration in central Seoul last month to terms of network sharing has been reached (expected
health authorities as part of anti-infection measures within the next six months). Notably, the MSIT has
against the pandemic. Under the country's infectious claimed the development represents the first time that
disease control and prevention law, health authorities the three MNOs will work together on a national level to
can request information on potentially infected share network infrastructure.
individuals to track them and prevent the spread of (September 2, 2020) Yonhap News Agency

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