Page 160 - SAMENA Trends - April-May 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

million) will need to start conducting these self- should meet in their self-assessments. Specifically,
evaluations and disclosing key service information mobile services should be activated by providers within
from the start of 2022. Meanwhile, the service items two hours after an application for service is completed,
to be disclosed by providers are reportedly divided into while fixed line services must be activated within two
several categories, with these understood to include days. With regards to the accuracy of billing information,
download speeds, coverage levels, service rates, this should be at least 99.85%, while calls to customer
complaint response times, and the mechanisms used service lines should be answered within 35 seconds. In
to protect subscriber’s personal data. NCC spokesman the event that an operator receives a written complaint
Wong Po-tsung was cited as saying that operators from a subscriber, they will be required to respond in
should assess their services annually based on the writing within 15 days. Commenting, Wong added: ‘We
criteria stated in the categories, while it was noted that, would conduct inspections to check the authenticity of
when disclosing speeds and coverage, they should the service information [the operators] disclose online.
reveal the number of base transceiver stations (BTS) If they exaggerate, they could be fined TWD500,000
in each locality; they will not, however, be required to to TWD5 million for failing to follow their network
disclose exact BTS locations. Meanwhile, the NCC has construction plans, based on the Telecommunications
also stipulated standards for certain items that telcos Management Act.’ (March 29, 2021) commsupdate.com

The government has suspended telecommunication platforms. In response to the uproar, the government
firms' new data bundles after they (the bundles) had issued a statement later in the day, announcing the
raised a public uproar. Earlier, all telecommunication suspension of the new data charges until the matter
firms had revised their bundles for voice calls, data gets resolved. "The government has directed telcos to
Tanzania and short messaging service as they sought to align suspend the new prices for data bundles for a while as
them with new regulations as published by Tanzania the issue is being sorted out," the head of corporate
Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA). In the communications at TCRA, Mr. Semu Mwakyanjala,
process however, they (telcos) significantly raised data told The Citizen. The message was followed by a
bundles. This raised a public uproar as subscribers statement from the regulator, saying the suspension
vehemently opposed the new charges, with some of data bundles was meant to give room for further
describing them as 'outrageous' via social media discussions. (April 4, 2021) allafrica.com

The Telecommunication and Posts Regulatory procedure against the Maroc Telecom-owned cellco in
Authority (ARCEP) has issued Moov Africa Togo with November last year for ‘violating its terms of reference’.
a fine of XOF593 million (USD1.1 million) for ‘serious Whilst Moov Africa Togo explained that the problems
and lasting breaches of its obligation to provide its arose from ‘prolonged’ power cuts by the CEET and
Togo electronic communications networks and services issues with cables having been cut by Togocom or
on a permanent and continuous basis’. The move construction companies working across the country,
follows a recent public hearing in which the operator ARCEP said its reasons were ‘insufficient’ given the
was summoned to explain serious problems with its XOF113 billion investment the operator claims to have
network that lasted through June to September 2020 made in Togo to improve its quality of services (QoS).
and March to April 2021. As previously reported by (May 26, 2021) commsupdate.com
CommsUpdate, the regulator launched a sanctions

Lycamobile has been awarded a National Telecommu- The National Information Technology Authority
nications Operator (NTO) license in Uganda to make it Uganda (NITA-U) could be merged into the Uganda
the country’s fourth national operator alongside Ugan- Communications Commission (UCC) under plans
da Telecom Limited (UTL), MTN and Airtel. As an NTO to streamline government agencies and authorities.
Uganda licensee, Lycamobile must deploy networks covering A report from Techjaja says an independent review
team has proposed that NITA-U be abolished and its
90% of Uganda within five years, while it must also
commit to listing 20% of shares on local bourse. UK- operations taken over by the UCC. This would give
based Lycamobile Group entered the Ugandan market the UCC responsibility for major projects such as the
in January 2020 when it acquired fixed-wireless oper- National Backbone Infrastructure (NBI) scheme.
ator Tangerine, and it went on to launch commercial (May 7, 2021) commsupdate.com
services in April that year using Tangerine’s existing
concession. (May 12, 2021) commsupdate.com
160 APRIL-MAY 2021