Page 108 - SAMENA Trends - August-September 2025

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

China successfully sent a test satellite for satellite in- a combined 104 million 5G subscribers in the first half
ternet technology into space from the Jiuquan Satel- of 2025, pushing their total to over 1.1 billion, according
lite Launch Center, located in the country's northwest. to recent figures from the country’s Ministry of Industry
The satellite was launched at 9:06 a.m. (Beijing Time) and Information Technology. China ended June with a
China aboard a Long March-2C carrier rocket, with the Yuan- total mobile base of 1.81 billion subscribers, after a net
zheng-1S (Expedition-1S) upper stage attached to the addition of 19.93 million users since the beginning of
rocket. The satellite has successfully reached its pre- the year. The ministry noted that this figure represents
set orbit. This was the 595th flight mission of the Long almost 61% of all mobile connections in the country. In
March carrier rocket series. the first half of 2025, China Mobile, the world’s largest
(September 17, 2025) www.english.news.cn operator in terms of subscribers, gained 47 million 5G
network customers, raising its base to 599.3 million, an
China’s four main mobile operators — China Mobile, Chi- increase of 84.8 million year-on-year.
na Telecom, China Unicom, and China Broadnet — added (August 15, 2025) www.rcrwireless.com

Costa Rica’s state power and telecom utility ICE an- virtual reality and 5G. “TAM-1 integrates cutting-edge
nounced that it will boost its current international ca- technologies, allows for upgrades without physical in-
pacity 23-fold through the integration of the Trans tervention, improves operational efficiency, and diver-
Americas Fiber Systems submarine cable TAM-1 . The sifies international connectivity routes. We will reduce
Costa Rica subsea infrastructure, scheduled to enter operation in costs, improve service quality and performance, and of-
the final quarter of 2025, will feature 24 fiber optic pairs. fer more competitive prices,” said Leda Acevedo, ICE’s
According to ICE, this will allow the company to scale telecommunications manager, in a press release.
up to 18 terabits per second (Tbps) to meet demand (August 28, 2025) www.bnamericas.com
from services such as streaming, artificial intelligence,

Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, Micro, Small and Me- will take place in Phase two (2026) and Phase 3 (2027
dium Enterprises and Communications has official- onward). The government is also said to be upgrading
ly issued 5G spectrum licenses to the country’s three rural and maritime networks to 4G. Deputy Prime Minis-
major mobile operators. Vodafone Fiji, Digicel Fiji, and ter and Minister for Communications, Hon. Manoa Ka-
Fiji Telecom Fiji received the licenses, which will take effect mikamica, said the deployment is being carried out stra-
from 15 September 2025. However, the 5G rollout will tegically and responsibly to support inclusive national
take a bit longer to achieve, happening in three phases development. The Fiji Times news resource quotes him
between 2025 and 2028. Phase 1 (2025) will be focus as saying: “This rollout not only addresses local chal-
on four major centers of population, business or tourism lenges but also positions Fiji as a regional leader in dig-
– including Suva, the capital – that also offer good fiber, ital transformation.”
power, and network density. Expansion into other areas (September 12, 2025) www.developingtelecoms.com

The regulator publishing its scorecard for the fixed density, public-initiative areas were rendered eligible
broadband and superfast broadband market in France for FTTH access, with 1.6 million premises remaining
as of the end of June 2025. As of 30 June 2025, 93% to be covered. 160,000 additional premises in lower
of premises in Metropolitan France were eligible to density, private-initiative areas were rendered eligible
France subscribe to a fiber plan, with 3.3 million remaining for FTTH access, with 1.1 million premises remaining to
be covered. 30,000 additional premises were passed for
to be passed. At the end of June 2025, optical fiber
coverage stood at 93%. Of the 44.9 million premises FTTH in those areas covered by calls for expressions
in Metropolitan France inventoried by operators, 41.6 of local interest, with 130,000 premises remaining to
million were passed for FTTH, while 3.3 million still be covered. 20,000 additional premises in very high-
remained to be covered. The pace of rollouts held density areas were passed for FTTH, with 480,000
steady over the course of Q2 2025, with 520,000 premises remaining to be covered. As of 30 June 2025,
additional premises passed for FTTH – or 20% fewer 42.6 million premises were covered by fixed superfast
than in Q2 2024. 310,000 additional premises in lower broadband services. (September 11, 2025) www.en.arcep.fr

108 AUG-SEP 2025