Page 76 - SAMENA Trends - September 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

that reflect the experience of mobile telecom consumers in Qatar. in a way that it may abuse another telecom Service Provider, or
CRA affirms that the purpose of the audit was not to identify the to use the audit’s findings in a way that may be misleading or
best network or do a comparison between the telecom Service inaccurate considering the scope of the audit. The summary of the
Providers in Qatar. The CRA emphasizes that the audit’s findings results report of QoS audit of mobile networks 2020 is available
should not be used for any purpose that does not serve the via the below link: https://www.cra.gov.qa/en/document/quality-
required value of the report, such as promoting the best telecom of-service-mobile-network-audit-for-2020.
Service Provider or taking a part or parts of the report to be used (September 29, 2021) gulf-times.com

Saudi Arabia

The Communications and Information Technology Commission areas across the Kingdom's regions by the end of 2021. The
(CITC) published a public consultation on Fixed Radio Service: service aims to raise competitiveness, improve service quality and
Frequency Allocation and Use Regulation for Wireless Links. CITC user experience, support the digital transformation of villages and
seeks to re-allocate all frequency bands used in wireless links rural areas, achieve its objectives, and provide general services.
in (point-to-point and point-to-multipoint), and to update the (September 16, 2021) citc.gov.sa
licensing mechanism of the wireless links in fixed radio service;
in order to enhance spectrum efficiency and avoid any harmful In August, the Communications and Information Technology
interference between users. This pubic consultation document Commission (CITC) carried out more than 1,500 field inspection
shows the proposed changes to the frequency channel plans tours on all telecom, communication, and technology service
used in wireless links, and includes the regulations for bands providers, postal service providers, and delivery applications. The
identified for these services. In addition, the document includes inspection tours were to ensure the application of terms of service
the proposed process to re-farm some of those bands to align provisions, the rights of users, and the conditions for providing
with the regulations and ITU recommendations. CITC has revealed services. The commission confirmed that inspection tours by
its intention to adopt flexible regimes in assigning wireless links its supervisory teams are to detect violations, detect violating
such as license exempt and light license. The consultation is devices that cause radio interference and take adequate mitigative
seeking inputs on the proposed regimes of licensing in some measures against all violations to ensure the quality of services
spectrum bands including the 28GHz and 80GHz. CITC believes to users and beneficiaries benefitting from communications and
that the proposed changes will play a valuable role in achieving the information technology services in the Kingdom. The commission
optimum frequency usage, reducing congestion of the allocated indicated that the tours included shopping centers, shops and
spectrum bands, enabling new technologies, and satisfying the telecommunication branches, and service providers in various
market needs. CITC is inviting all interested parties nationally regions as part of its framework to strengthen user protection
and internationally, including telecom and technology providers, mechanisms in the sector. (September 8, 2021) citc.gov.sa
industrial stakeholders, public entities, members of the public
as well as consumers of telecom and digital services, to provide The Communications and Information Technology Commission
feedback by 21 October 2021. (September 26, 2021) citc.gov.sa (CITC) has approved the update of technical specifications
for communication and information technology devices and
The Communications and Information Technology Commission applications to keep pace with the rapid technological development
(CITC) has launched the second phase of the local roaming service, and facilitate the release of devices and the issuance of conformity
maintaining telecommunication services to 2,887 villages and certificates. The commission was keen on raising the quality and
rural areas in the Riyadh and Qassim regions. Last month, CITC efficiency of devices manufactured or imported to the Kingdom
launched the first phase of the service in Asir. The service will by aligning them with the standards and specifications approved
cover 2,315 villages in Riyadh and 572 in Qassim, the commission by the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization.
added provided by the Kingdom's three telecommunication The commission also specified the technical and regulatory
providers, Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Etihad Etisalat requirements for communications and information technology
Company (Mobily), and Mobile Telecommunications Company devices to allow users to access the latest gadgets and conform
Saudi Arabia (Zain). The second phase comes within scheduled to the standards issued by the International Telecommunication
plans to complete the local roaming service in all villages and Union and relevant international organizations. The specifications
remote areas in various regions of the Kingdom by the end of are the technical basis for the communications and information
2021. The service enables service providers to benefit from the technology devices services that the authority provides. By
telecommunications networks, help meet the requirements approving the technical specifications, the commission ensures
of beneficiaries, support service providers to reach the most the compatibility of the devices used in the Kingdom with its
significant number of beneficiaries while ensuring an increase network operators, distribute the latest communication and
in the number of available options in 21,000 villages and remote information technologies and applications, verify the quality and

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