Page 75 - SAMENA Trends - August-September 2025

WHOLESALE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

packs. Activating the service through ‘My overseas transactions more accessible Officer, Shahed Alam, Chief People Officer,
Robi’ and ‘My Airtel’ apps is quick and and transparent for Bangladeshi citizens. Muhammad Shoaib Baig, and Head of
easy.” Shahjahan Ali, Joint Director of the This service aligns with our goals and Marketing Shaukat Kader Chowdhury, along
Foreign Exchange Policy Department at will ease travel while reducing reliance with other officials. With valid passports,
Bangladesh Bank, described the move as “a on international payment systems.” Also visas, and travel tickets (when applicable),
major milestone for Bangladesh’s telecom present at the event were Bangladesh customers can easily purchase roaming
sector. Allowing roaming purchases in Bank’s Joint Director Mohammad packs via the ‘My Robi’ and ‘My Airtel’ apps.
Bangladeshi Taka sets a positive precedent Moniruzzaman Moni, and Deputy Director The maximum spend per trip is Tk 6,000,
for customer service and financial Farzana Rahman. Representing Robi Axiata with an annual cap of Tk 30,000. Full details
inclusion.” “We commend Robi for making PLC were Chief Corporate and Regulatory are available within the apps.

CNMC Fully Deregulates Spain’s Wholesale Fiber Market

Spain’s Comisión Nacional de los
Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC)
has moved to completely deregulate the
wholesale market for fixed-line broadband,
formally ending the regulatory obligations
on Telefónica for its NEBA Local and
NEBA Fibra services. NEBA, or “Network
Broadband Access,” is the system that has
let Spanish rivals use Telefónica’s fiber
network at regulated rates. NEBA Local
connects at exchanges near end users,
while NEBA Fibra links at larger provincial
hubs. Designed to help operators without
last-mile networks compete, it has been
key to boosting broadband competition,
especially in less commercial areas. With
the CNMC’s latest decision, the rules
requiring Telefónica to offer NEBA access
will be scrapped after a transition period.
From October 2021 until now, these
wholesale services were only regulated in
areas serving about 30% of the population.
Moving forward, they will be subject entirely
to commercial competition and the sector’s closely mirroring levels in more competitive conduits, ducts and poles – will remain
conflict-resolution framework. According areas. Its retail market share in those in place under the MARCo (MArco de
to Cinco Días, the decision marks the zones has fallen sharply from above 50%. Referencia de conductos) framework. This
culmination of a deregulation process first At the same time, the emergence and ensures altnets retain access to essential
proposed in December 2024 and follows a consolidation of altnets have transformed civil infrastructure needed to deploy their
public consultation that confirmed growing the landscape: MásOrange, Vodafone own FTTH networks. Cinco Días pointed out
competitive conditions. The move had under Zegona, the growth of Digi, and CNMC recently approved hikes of between
been flagged by strategy consultancy Nae. wholesale players like Onivia and Lyntia 11% and 14.6% in MARCo rates, prompting
In that piece, Nae argued that deregulation have significantly diversified services and calls for legal challenge from operators
was a logical next step in a market where bolstered competition throughout the such as MasOrange and Vodafone, which
“SuperNetco” joint ventures were already country. To ensure an orderly transition, argue the increases are excessive despite
reshaping the competitive landscape. the CNMC has established a six-month being lower than the originally proposed
The CNMC justifies the move by pointing phase-in period during which NEBA Local 20% average. Despite deregulation of NEBA
to substantial improvements in market and NEBA Fibra obligations will remain in services, the existing MARCo offers remain
competition. Telefónica’s fiber-to-the-home effect, with full deregulation taking effect in fully in place throughout the transition
(FTTH) coverage in previously regulated February 2026. Importantly, the regulation period and until any new regulatory
zones has reached approximately 90%, of Telefónica’s physical infrastructure – recalibrations are completed.

75 AUG-SEP 2025