Page 78 - SAMENA Trends - August 2019

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South Africa: Cell C, MTN Conclude Roaming Agreement Term Sheet

South Africa’s third-largest mobile sheet. Further, Blue Label welcomed
operator Cell C and telecommunications the permanent appointment of Douglas
giant MTN South Africa have concluded Craigie Stevenson as Cell C CEO. Craigie
a detailed term sheet regarding a Stevenson had been interim CEO since
national roaming agreement, majority March. “In the past five months, Douglas
shareholder Blue Label said. In an update and his team have led the company
to shareholders, the JSE-listed group to improved financial stability, sound
assured that the mutually beneficial deal business ethics and good governance,
would result in substantial cost savings better operational performance and have
for Cell C by reducing network and capital established a path to sustainability. “His
expenditure through an extensive roaming permanent appointment was unanimously
arrangement. Negotiations are now under approved by the board and we are fully
way for a long form agreement that will behind his efforts to lead Cell C,” said Cell
detail the principles set out in the term C Chairperson Kuben Pillay.

ANCOM Opens Consultation on Lower Mobile Termination Rates

Romania’s National Authority for current rate of EUR0.0084, as a transitional obligation not to exceed the maximum
Management and Regulation in measure until a single European rate is regulated rate on their own networks. The
Communications (ANCOM) has opened a established before the end of 2020 under rate will apply to national calls and calls
public consultation on its plan to reduce Directive (EU) 2018/1972. The operators from inside the European Economic Area
mobile termination rates (MTRs) with effect designated with significant market power (EEA), as well as calls initiated outside
from 1 January 2020. The regulator has – Lycamobile, Orange Romania, Vodafone the EEA where there is no international
proposed a maximum tariff of EUR0.0076 Romania, RCS&RDS and Telekom Romania agreement in place governing termination
(USD0.0085) per minute, down from the Mobile Communications – will have the fees.

Bell Claims Wholesale Rate Hike will Reduce Broadband Rollout by 200,000

Households

Bell Canada has released a statement claiming that a regulatory such areas by 20%, or approximately 200,000 households. On 15
decision to reduce wholesale broadband rates will negatively August the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications
impact its high speed access network expansion in smaller towns Commission (CRTC) ordered large telcos and cablecos to reduce
and rural communities, reducing the scope of its current plans in tariffs for wholesale broadband network services, applicable
retroactively back to 2016. Bell estimates that the decision will
cost it around CAD100 million (USD75 million). TeleGeography
notes that over half a million subscribers to third-party ISPs
use Bell’s fixed access network. Bell’s release highlights that in
2018 it announced the rollout of its new Wireless Home Internet
(WHI) service, targeting areas that are difficult to reach with fibre
or cable connections, with an original target to deploy WHI to
800,000 small-town households in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec
and Atlantic Canada later raised to 1.2 million premises with the
help of federal funding. Bell has so far rolled out WHI to more than
130 small communities in Ontario and Quebec. The operator says
it will now be forced to reduce the scope of the WHI build out plan
to approximately one million premises.

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