Page 182 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The government of Timor-Leste has allocated USD14.5 currently already holds a 20.59% stake in TT, with the
million to purchase Brazilian operator Oi’s majority stake remaining shareholders being VDT Operator Holdings
in Timor Telecom (TT) next year. Finance Minister Rui (17.86%) and Timorese businessman Julio Alfaro
Gomes said that negotiations with Oi are ongoing and (4.49%). In December 2016 Oi announced that, pursuant
Timor Leste that a ‘positive’ result is expected, adding that the funds to its judicial reorganization plan, it had requested court
for the potential purchase have been earmarked as part
authorization for the sale of its direct and indirect stake
of the General State Budget for 2023. The transaction in TT to Investel Communications for USD36 million, in
involves a 54.01% shareholding in TT, controlled by addition to the payment of the operator’s debts to Oi in
Telecomunicacoes Publicas de Timor (TPT), in which Oi the amount of USD26 million, although it appears that
owns 76.14%, in addition to a direct 3.05% stake held this transaction failed to progress.
by PT Participacoes SGPS. The Timorese government (October 4, 2022) News Agency Lusa

The Telecommunication Services of Trinidad and Tobago dependencies. (September 30, 2022) NewsDay
(TSTT), and its fiber ISP unit AMPLIA Communications,
are seeking permission to challenge an Appeal Court Trinidad and Tobago-based telco Flow is poised
ruling at the Privy Council. The companies have filed to extend fiber broadband services to Bloody Bay,
Trinidad and an application for conditional leave to challenge the Parlatuvier and L’Anse Formi on Tobago as part
ruling of the local court in a lawsuit brought by the
of a Universal Services Fund (USF)-backed rollout
Tobago Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago administered by the Telecommunications Authority of
(TATT) in March 2021. That month the watchdog filed Trinidad and Tobago (TATT). Robindranath Maharaj,
a claim against TSTT and AMPLIA seeking to recover Flow’s Director of Technical Operations, commented:
TTD26.467 million (USD3.816 million) in unpaid ‘Our teams have been here, working on the ground
contributions to the Universal Service Fund (USF). to get your areas ready for connectivity. To date, we
The hearing – which has already been upheld and have hundreds of homes and businesses ready for
then reversed – was due before the Appeal Court on connection. Our technical plans will see us deploying
Monday 26 September, but has now been adjourned to over 45km of fiber.’
8 November. The Privy Council (JCPC) is the court of (September 1, 2022) www.commsupdate.com
final appeal for the UK overseas territories and Crown

British telecoms regulator Ofcom has announced Microsoft and Google’s respective positions in cloud
that it has decided to make changes to the technical services, alongside a separate investigation into the role
conditions of mobile licenses held by O2 and Vodafone of communications apps and connected devices in the
in response to requests by the two cellcos. In a press country. Starting with cloud, Ofcom stated its probe will
United release regarding the matter, Ofcom confirmed that it explore if digital communications markets are working
well for people and businesses in the UK, as the sector
will update the technical conditions of concessions
Kingdom held by Vodafone in the 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz continues to gain more prominence. Ofcom explained
and 2.6GHz bands. These variations will amend the cloud computing uses remote servers to offer a range
licenses with updated parameters ‘to reflect the latest of services and it has become an essential part of how
technologies’ and will remove technology restrictions products are delivered to telecoms users as well as
within the licenses making them technology neutral. those consuming TV, radio and audio content. The probe
Meanwhile, the regulator also confirmed it will remove will see Ofcom launch a market study in the coming
a restriction placed on O2’s unpaired spectrum in the weeks looking at the three largest providers of cloud
2.6GHz band. This variation will remove a restriction on services, described by the regulator as “hyperscalers”,
the 5MHz block within the mobile operator’s unpaired to formally assess how the market is operating. It said
spectrum allocation adjacent to Vodafone’s unpaired the trio held 81 per cent of cloud market share in the UK,
allocation. According to the regulator, this will allow O2 in a segment worth £15 billion in the country. “We will
to use an unrestricted 20MHz of spectrum compared examine the strength of competition in cloud services
with the 15MHz currently available. Meanwhile, generally and the position the three hyperscalers hold
Vodafone’s license will be similarly varied. in the market,” Ofcom stated. It will further consider
(September 23, 2022) www.commsupdate.com any market features which might limit innovation and
growth in this sector by making it difficult for other
UK regulator Ofcom announced a probe into Amazon, companies to enter. Once it concludes the study, it will

182 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022