Page 160 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

and data services. The Drive test teams selected survey routes in to ensure improvement in the service quality up to the standards.
such a manner to cover main roads, service roads, and the majority The service quality monitoring activity is being carried out by
of sectors and colonies in the surveyed areas. Based upon the PTA field teams with the ultimate aim to pursue the operators for
compliance level of each KPI against the threshold defined in the the provision of better mobile services and to promote healthy
respective licenses and QoS Regulations, CMOs have been ranked competition among the operators. (September 21, 2022) www.urdupoint.com
between first to fourth position in Mobile Network Coverage
and Voice Services as per compliance level in surveyed cities. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has started
Similarly, in the mobile broadband speed segment, the ranking has issuing five-year renewable IoT licenses using LPWAN bands
been done with respect to the highest data download and upload 433.05MHz-434.79MHz and 920MHz-925MHz, with four
speed, network latency, and webpage loading time. The survey companies – Noby Solutions, IoT Technologies, LCC Pakistan and
results revealed that CMOs are compliant with respect to upload WeatherWalay – granted the first batch of permits. Licensees are
and download speed to a great extent, while network latency and obliged to report any network expansions to PTA, including the
webpage loading time was found below the threshold. Similarly, installation or addition of LPWAN Gateways. The move follows
SMS and voice KPIs have also been found below the licensed the PTA’s publication of its IoT regulatory framework in February.
threshold in some areas. Eventually, necessary instructions have (September 16, 2022) www.commsupdate.com
been issued to the operators for taking corrective measures so as

Qatar

The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has issued for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, that will be hosted by the
an Individual License for the Provision of Public Satellite State of Qatar in November and December of this year. During
Telecommunications Networks and Services to Starlink Satellite its presentation, CRA’s explained its preparations and readiness
Qatar, a division of SpaceX, following permission from the Minister to monitor the radio spectrum through the strategic projects that
of Communications & Information Technology Mohammed bin have been implemented during the past few years and provided
Ali Al-Mannai. The license authorizes Starlink to provide satellite a summary of the most important systems that will be used
broadband internet services to individuals and enterprises across during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, in addition to the planning
Qatar via SpaceX’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. considerations that were made to complete the radio spectrum
Starlink Satellite Qatar will reportedly focus on both direct-to- monitoring network with state-of-the-art technologies to monitor
consumer satellite internet and ‘Starlink Premium’ services for the use of the radio spectrum and to ensure the protection of
B2B and other high-demand users, enabling download speeds all the services, systems, and networks that will be used in the
of 150Mbps-500Mbps and latency of 20ms-40ms, in addition to World Cup’s stadiums that are close to each other, as it is the first
potential services supporting Qatari mobile network operators. experience of its kind in the history of hosting the World Cup from
Starlink’s offerings are expected to enhance availability of telecoms the radio spectrum management and monitoring perspective.
services in remote locations, including offshore zones for oil and CRA has implemented several projects related to radio spectrum
gas platforms, sea vessels and aircraft, while other potential use management and monitoring, in preparation for the major and
cases include back-up communications throughout Qatar in the special events to be hosted by Qatar, including the upgrade of
event of a major telecoms network outage. the Automated Frequency Management System (AFMS), the
(September 30, 2022) The Peninsula augmentation of the fixed and mobile monitoring stations and the
radio spectrum sensors monitoring stations, to cover all the main
The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) participated venues of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, in addition to the drone
in the Global Spectrum Management Forum 2022 hosted by detection system and the quality of service measurements system
the Central Radio Management Service (CRMS) of the Ministry of the mobile networks by upgrading the existing system and
of Science and ICT in Seoul, Republic of South Korea, from 6-7 installing several remote sensors units in the main venues of the
September 2022. The Forum was attended by a large number of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. CRA is also executing a space radio
radio spectrum management officials from all over the world as monitoring system project that will be completed in November
well as many experts from various international organizations 2022 and used during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
and other stakeholders from the radio spectrum monitoring (September 8, 2022) www.cra.gov.qa
field. During its participation in the Forum, CRA presented the
radio spectrum monitoring network, which has been prepared

160 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022