Page 159 - SAMENA Trends - September 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The 5G user base increased by 500,000 for three Korea. Domestic operators SK Telecom, KT and LG
consecutive months from May. 5G customer additions Uplus started taking pre-orders for the device on 9
are estimated to have jumped to 850,000 in August, August. Samsung reached 1.3 million Galaxy Note 10
boosted by the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Note pre-orders, which represents a 2-fold increase from
10 5G smartphone on the local market. In August, the total number of pre-orders received for the Galaxy
South Korea Samsung announced that pre-orders for its Galaxy Note 9 on the local market.
Note 10 smartphone topped 1 million units in South (September 3, 2019) telecompaper.com

The Swiss Competition Commission (Wettbewer- would improve competition in the wholesale broadband
bskommission, Weko) is expected to grant conditional market and potentially reduce prices for customers.
approval to the proposed takeover of cableco UPC The paper cites the recent example of Germany and
Switzerland from Liberty Global by full-service provider the acquisition of Unitymedia – another of Liberty
Sunrise. The regulator is scheduled to issue a ruling Global’s subsidiaries – by Vodafone. In that case, the
Switzerland on the matter by the end of next month, and is likely EC imposed a number of conditions on the takeover,
to require the enlarged entity to open its networks to including opening its cable network to rival operator
third party ISPs, according to the sources. Such a move Telefonica Deutschland. (September 12, 2019) Handelszeitung

The National Communications Commission (NCC) Taiwan’s National Communications Commission
will kick off the country’s 5G spectrum auction (NCC) has reportedly confirmed that those companies
on 10 December 2019. It is understood that, at a successful in acquiring 5G-suitable spectrum in the
hearing called by the transportation committee of country’s forthcoming auction should be required to
the Legislative Yuan, Chen laid out the schedule for share their new resources with smaller operators that
Taiwan the sale, confirming that the NCC aims to award 5G do not manage to bag frequencies. As per a revised
licenses to winning bidders by the end of January 2020. version of the auction rules issued last week, the local
Applications to participate are already being accepted, telecoms regulator has stipulated that companies
with a deadline for would-be bidders set as 3 October. that secure 5G spectrum must include sharing
To date, seven application forms have been sold to arrangements in their respective business plans. It
interested parties. Taiwan is expected to offer a total of is understood that the tweaks to the rules follows a
2,790MHz in the upcoming spectrum auction, across degree of pushback from operators, which had called
the 1800MHz (20MHz), 3.5GHz (270MHz) and 28GHz for greater flexibility, including the ability to reach
(2,500MHz) bands. The NCC has now also confirmed sharing agreements at the base station level. All three
that the floor price for the 3.5GHz frequencies has of the nation’s larger mobile network operators (MNOs)
been set at TWD24.3 billion (USD784 million), while – Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile Company and Far
starting prices for the 1800MHz and 28GHz bands will EasTone – have reportedly welcomed the changes. The
be TWD3.2 billion and TWD2.5 billion, respectively. NCC began accepting applications to take part in the
Looking further ahead, the report also notes that the auction process last week (4 September), although the
Ministry of Transportation and Communications regulator’s Acting Chairman Yaw Shyang-Chen is cited
(MoTC) is planning to launch a second round of 5G as saying that the authorities have yet to receive bids
spectrum auctions in 2023 – after consulting with the from any potential new entrants. With only the nation’s
NCC. In this secondary sale process, the MoTC was existing MNOs reportedly having thrown their hat in
cited as saying it has tentatively planned to release the ring, Yaw was said to have suggested it is unlikely
bandwidth totaling 200MHz in the frequency range of any new players will step forward to participate in the
below 6GHz, in addition to between 37GHz and 40GHz sale process. A deadline of 3 October has been set for
in the range above 6GHz. Detailed plans for this second applications, with the NCC expected to start examining
frequency sale will not be finalized until the results of applications immediately after that date, with a view to
this year’s auction are revealed, the MoTC confirmed, approving bidders for an auction that will get underway
however. (September 24, 2019) Focus Taiwan News Channel in December. (September 12, 2019) Light Reading

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