Page 155 - SAMENA Trends - September 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Most rural areas in the Netherlands are now equipped the longer term. Most rural areas in the Netherlands
with fiber, regulator ACM said, adding that rollout has have now been fitted with fiber, the regulator said. The
been slower for urban areas. The regulator started market has worked well here, but: “the playing field
an investigation into the deployment of fiber in the is now shifting more towards urban areas. In urban
The spring, following signs of problems around rollout in areas, rollout seems to be proceeding less rapidly than
urban areas. The results of that investigation will be
planned,” the regulator said. The ACM added it has
Netherlands published in the autumn. Action will then be taken, received signs about problems here. “If these signals
if necessary. Annemarie Sipkes, ACM’s Director for are justified, there is a chance that infrastructure
Telecom, Transport and Post, gave a view during Metro investors, who in particular have pushed fiber rollout
Connect Europe of the Dutch fiber optic market. She in the Netherlands in recent years, will not continue
said that relatively little fiber has been deployed in the investing in the future.” The ACM wants to gain more
country over the past few years. Interest in rollout went insight into how telecom companies and investors
on the up recently, mainly due to a greater willingness determine where they roll out fiber, and the problems
from investors to make capital available for rollout. they encounter. It has therefore started an exploratory
As a result, several parties have entered the market. study into the deployment of fiber in the Netherlands,
The ACM sees added value in the deployment of fiber holding talks with telecom companies, investors and
networks, in addition to existing copper and cable municipalities. The results of the market study and any
networks, because they stimulate innovation and will resulting recommendations will be published in the fall.
help meet the increasing demand for bandwidth in (September 18, 2019) telecompaper.com

New Zealand’s Commerce Commission has published say it is easy to compare plans though 68% rarely if
its final report on the country’s mobile market, in which it ever do, and 54% have not switched providers in the
claims regulatory intervention is not needed for a fourth past five years. (September 30, 2019) telegeography.com
national network. The study found that consumers are
New Zealand benefitting from an increasingly competitive market The Radio Spectrum Management (RSM), which is part
environment, thanks to the presence of three existing of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
national network-based providers – Vodafone, Spark (MBIE), has invited expressions of interest (EoI) for a
and Two Degrees Mobile – as well as a growing number proposed short-term allocation of spectrum in the
of MVNOs. As a result, the Commission does not upper portion of the 3.5GHz (3590MHz-3800MHz) band
consider there is any need for regulation of wholesale for 5G services. The RSM said that applicants need to
access at this time. ‘Having assessed the state of demonstrate that they have the technical and financial
competition in the mobile market we haven’t identified capacity to deliver a 5G service from mid-2020 to
any particular problems or structural issues that could October 2022. However, the watchdog noted that that
be hampering competition,’ Telecommunications the short-term allocation process would be separate
Commissioner Dr Stephen Gale said, adding: ‘While to the allocation of long-term rights commencing in
we consider that, overall, mobile services are in good November 2022, and it would not guarantee placement
shape, we do think there is room for consumers to keep in the 3.5GHz band from that date. All interested parties
pressure on providers to compete harder on price and are invited to submit their EoI forms by 4 October.
service quality.’ The study found 60% of consumers (September 23, 2019) telegeography.com

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has frameworks that will guide the deployment of this
reserved spectrum in the 26GHz, 38GHz and 42GHz service if it eventually becomes commercialized,’
bands for 5G networks, local news source, citing the Danbatta noted. (September 25, 2019) The Guardian
regulator’s Executive Vice Chairman Umar Danbatta.
Nigeria The country is looking to allocate the currently The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)
unassigned frequencies to enable the rollout of 5G has charged telecommunications service providers to
services in 2020, adding that preparations to trial the evolve measures towards safeguarding their numerous
technology are underway. ‘The steps we are taking customers from the dubious activities of cybercrime.
during the trials will involve the security agencies, Speaking recently, at the 52nd edition of Consumer
which have a say on the security dimension of this Town hall meeting, held at the Institute for Information
new technology when it is eventually rolled out. So we Technology in Kura, Kano State, the Director, Consumer
want to ensure they are fully involved in this trial for Affairs, Mrs. Felicia Onwueguchalam, expressed
the purpose of advising on the elements of the security displeasure over the alarming increase of cybercrime
concerns we should accommodate in the regulatory in the country. ”There is doubt that cybercrime is on

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