Page 153 - SAMENA Trends - April-May 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Commission for Communications Regulation Further, the regulator said other problem areas
(ComReg) has announced that it has notified local included: the provider’s lack of information regarding
broadband provider Virgin Media of a finding of non- cancellation in writing and the requirement in almost
compliance under the latter’s obligations with the all instances to speak to one of the telco’s agents on
Ireland Universal Service Regulations. In a press release the phone prior to a cancellation being actioned; and
confirming the development, ComReg said it had
a requirement for customers to engage in so-called
found that certain conditions and procedures for the ‘save activity’ (i.e. when customers have to speak to
operator’s contract termination acted as ‘a disincentive a retentions team member prior to any cancellation
to a consumer changing service provider’. Specifically, of service) with Virgin Media. The company has
ComReg raised issue with Virgin Media’s requirement been given until 4 May 2021 to respond to ComReg’s
for customers to provide 30 days’ notice when changing findings.
service provider when outside of a fixed term contract. (April 23, 2021) commsupdate.com

The government is considering the creation of a According to a report from Reuters citing two sources
consortium of telcos to accelerate the rollout of ultra- close to the matter, the new government of Mario Draghi,
broadband infrastructure. With the mooted tie-up of which came to power in February, is revising a national
Telecom Italia (TIM) and wholesale operator Open Fiber Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). Italy is entitled
Italy still stuck at the negotiation stage, Reuters reports to EUR206 billion from EU funds which have been set
that authorities in Rome are now looking at alternative
aside to help the nations hardest hit by the COVID-19
strategies to avoid several telcos duplicating their pandemic. Rome now plans to raise the amount spent
rollouts. This includes a scheme to ‘encourage on broadband, 5G and satellite infrastructure to EUR6.7
joint investments financed by public grants’. The billion from EUR4.2 billion earmarked in January by
government is looking to spend almost EUR7 billion the previous government. The total funds for boosting
(USD8.4 billion) over the next six years on broadband digitalization amount to some EUR49 billion, up from
rollouts, using money from the EU’s Recovery Fund. a previous EUR46.3 billion, including investments
(April 23, 2021) commsupdate.com in public administration and grants for small and
medium-sized companies, one of the sources added.
The government is to spend EUR6.7 billion (USD8 In the EU’s 2019 Digital Economy and Society Index
billion) in European recovery funds on the expansion of (DESI), Italy ranked fourth from last in terms of digital
its broadband networks, up 60% on its previous target. competitiveness. (April 14, 2021) commsupdate.com

The Asahi Shimbun writes that Japan’s Ministry of outdoors), and 1sq km in other regions. However,
Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) plans to cut under the proposals that are due to be fleshed out this
the number of mandatory payphones across Japan by month, the MIC is looking to ease this requirement to
up to 75%, amid a plunge in demand from the general ‘one type 1 public phone per approximately 1sq km in
Japan public. The MIC’s draft proposal – unveiled on 5 April – urban areas and one per 2sq km in other regions. The
ministry’s decision to revise the requirement reflects
would slash the current number of payphones installed
by NTT East and NTT West from 109,000 to just 27,000. the widespread usage of mobile phones and the tail-off
The paper notes that Japan’s Telecommunications of public payphone usage over the past 20 years which
Business Law currently requires that one (type 1) means that the operators of payphones have posted
public phone should be installed in each roughly half continued losses due to a sharp drop in user numbers.
a square kilometer area in urban zones (preferably (April 7, 2021) commsupdate.com

The telecoms watchdog the Public Utilities Commission permits the two cellcos to jointly use up to 44% of their
(Sabiedrisko Pakalpojumu Regulesanas Komisija, total frequencies. The remaining spectrum will still be
SPRK) has granted wireless operators Bite and Tele2 used individually by each operator. The companies are
permission to share a portion of their spectrum also allowed to share infrastructure such as towers,
Latvia holdings. The SPRK said in a statement that it conducted masts and base stations. Explaining the decision, the
SPRK’s acting chairman Intars Birzins was quoted
an ‘extensive investigation’ into the matter to ensure
that the cooperation between the two operators does as saying: ‘Frequency and infrastructure sharing is
not endanger competition in the sector. The decision a common practice among European countries that

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