Page 140 - SAMENA Trends - September 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

GSMA Slams Impact of High Spectrum Fees

Research by the GSMA found a direct auctions held across 64 markets between Tarnutzer, Head of Spectrum at the GSMA,
correlation between high spectrum 2010 and 2017 before assessing the said: “Spectrum auctions can’t be viewed
prices and reduced network quality and availability and quality of related services. as cash cows anymore. Any government
availability, with millions said to be left In both developed and developing markets, that prices spectrum to maximize revenue
unconnected due to regulators’ policies. it concluded higher spectrum costs played now does so with full knowledge that its
In the scathing report published by a significant role in slowing network rollout actions will have negative repercussions
the organization’s analyst arm GSMA and drove long-term reductions in network on citizens and the development of mobile
Intelligence (GSMAi), experts found strong quality. GSMAi found in countries with services.” “We now have clear evidence that
links between high spectrum costs, rates the highest spectrum prices, the average shows by restricting the financial ability of
of deployment and quality of 3G and 4G 4G network covered 7.5 per cent less operators to invest in mobile networks,
networks in both developing and developed of the population compared with those millions of consumers are suffering.”
markets. The organization used data from where operators paid average prices. Brett

Government of Djibouti to Update Cybersecurity Legislation

The government of the Republic of Interior discussed new measures that systems, the continuity of the functioning
Djibouti plans to improve and strengthen are expected to become the foundations of institutions and vital infrastructures
its Cybersecurity legislation as part of a for a new legal framework. Minister of for the socio-economic activities of the
wider policy to cement information and the Interior Moumin Ahmed Cheick told country, the protection of businesses and
communication technologies as a key delegates that ‘for any nation, it is an citizens are entirely threatened by the
pillar of its future economic growth. In a issue of national sovereignty. Because scourge of cybercrime’.
meeting last month, the Ministry of the the security of the state’s information

140 SEPTEMBER 2019