Page 80 - SAMENA Trends - September 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications to legal proceedings. Estonia’s Consumer Protection
has still not decided how many licenses will be awarded and Technical Regulatory Authority (Tarbijakaitse
in the much-delayed auction of 3.5GHz (3410MHz- ja Tehnilise Jarelevalve Amet, TTJA) originally
3800MHz) spectrum. The issue will not be settled until announced the sale of three 3.5GHz licenses in early
Estonia an amendment to the Electronic Communications Act 2019. The planned auction was cancelled in April that
is passed which will ban the use of equipment from year, however, after IoT and wireless internet provider
suppliers from non-democratic countries. This will Levikom challenged the decision to only award three
rule out systems from vendors such as Huawei and concessions, saying that the move favored the three
ZTE of China. Estonia’s parliament, the Riigikogu, is set incumbent cellcos and would hamper competition.
to vote on the security amendments later this month. When the TTJA said in June 2020 that it planned to rejig
Laura Laaster, a spokesperson for the ministry, is cited the sale to include four permits, operators complained
by ERR as saying: ‘We can talk about the number of that they would be left with insufficient spectrum to
permits once the security regulation has been adopted.’ support a full speed 5G network.
The 3.5GHz auction had previously been derailed due (September 10, 2021) commsupdate.com

A request for proposal (RFP) for Ethiopia’s second telecoms sector has always been to drive competition
new full-service telecommunications license – and attract greater private sector investment as a key
‘License B’ – has been published by the Ethiopian part of Ethiopia’s digital transformation. Following our
Communications Authority (ECA). It has been successful first license issuance earlier this year to one
Ethiopia confirmed that the concession on offer will include of the world’s largest international telecoms consortia,
permission to offer ‘mobile financial services’, as we have continued with our mission and now want to
well as ‘additional spectrum allocation’, while it encourage more telecoms operators, of all sizes, to be
also has ‘revised pre‐qualification criteria to include part of this exciting opportunity.’ As previously reported
participation from a wide range of international and by CommsUpdate, in May 2021 Global Partnership for
national telecommunications operators. Would-be Ethiopia (Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia)
bidders have until 20 December 2021 to respond to was named as the winner of the country’s first new
the RFP, with the ECA noting that the final selection will telecoms concession, after agreeing to pay USD850
be announced following a thorough evaluation of the million for it; the 15-year license became effective from
proposals according to the pre-defined criteria. The 9 July 2021 and the new operator is expected to launch
license itself is expected to be issued in January 2022. a commercial service in 2022.
Commenting on the matter, Eng. Balcha Reba, Director (September 29, 2021) commsupdate.com
General of the ECA, said: ‘The goal of liberalizing our

The Ministry of Transport and Communications assessment of competitive effects. Highlighting one
(Liikenne-ja viestintaministerio, MoTC) has announced notable change in particular, the regulator said that,
its intention to amend the Act on Broadband unlike its current national broadband aid scheme, the
Construction Aid to continue to comply with the EU’s updated program will no longer be able to support the
Finland state aid rules. The Act, which covers the provision of construction of fixed-wireless access for 5G networks.
According to the GBER, aid cannot be provided to 5G
service in areas where no commercial broadband is
expected to be made available before 2025, entered networks in areas where 4G or 5G networks already
into force on 1 January 2021 and is governed by the EU exist, and the MoTC noted that in Finland, 99.9% of
General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER). However, the population has access to 4G networks. With the
in July the EC extended the scope of the GBER, with changes required by EU state aid legislation needing
these amendments entering into force last month. to be implemented no later than 3 February 2022,
In a press release regarding the planned changes to opinions on the draft Act and Decree are being sought
the Act, the MoTC noted that, in a change to previous by the MoTC by a deadline of 27 September 2021.
practice, the updated EU regulation has separate Further, the ministry noted that ‘due to the funding
requirements to support fixed and wireless networks, applied for the broadband program from the recovery
while minimum speed requirements for eligible instrument, the act will be treated as a budget act’, with
high speed communications connections have also this meaning the proposal must be submitted to the
increased. In addition, the regulation contains more Finnish parliament no later than the end of October.
detailed provisions on such things as the mapping of (September 21, 2021) commsupdate.com
the planned project area, public consultation and the

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