Page 94 - SAMENA Trends - August 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Orange Slovensko and Slovanet 3.5GHz Spectrum Deal Close to Completion

Press reports from Slovakia suggest that of frequencies, and Orange is now awaiting this year, Orange will have a range of
local fixed and mobile operator Orange the award of its license, which the report frequencies at its disposal for 5G wireless
Slovensko is close to finalizing a deal to describes as a formality. A purchase services. Rival operators O2 and 4ka
acquire 3.5GHz spectrum licenses from price has not been disclosed. Orange is (SWAN Mobile) also have access to 3.5GHz
wireless ISP Slovanet. Zive.sk revealed thought to be acquiring a total of 40MHz frequencies, while Slovak Telekom (ST) has
in June this year that Orange was in in two paired 20MHz blocks (3470MHz- a 3.5GHz permit covering the Bratislava
negotiations with Slovanet regarding its 3490MHz/3570MHz-3590MHz), with the region only. For its part, Slovanet will retain
3.5GHz permits, and the news site now licenses valid until 2025. With 700MHz 2×15MHz in the 3.5GHz band for its TD-LTE
writes that the deal is agreed, Slovanet has – and potentially 1500MHz – spectrum fixed-wireless services, while it also holds
informed the regulator about the transfer coming up for auction in Slovakia later 3.7GHz spectrum covering 47 districts.

GTH Board Approves VEON’s Asset Buyout

Global Telecom Holding (GTH) asset, MedCable) respectively, plus
informed the Egyptian Exchange Mobilink Bank (Pakistan) for USD92
(EGX) on Sunday that its board of million. In dollar terms the offers
directors have approved its parent add up to a value of USD2.9 billion.
VEON’s offer to acquire the company’s GTH will hold an extraordinary
assets in Pakistan, Bangladesh and general meeting related to the asset
Algeria. VEON intends to directly offer on 9 September. Earlier this
acquire GTH’s stakes in mobile month, Amsterdam-headquartered
operators Jazz (Pakistan), Banglalink multinational telecoms group VEON
(Bangladesh) and Djezzy (Algeria) completed a mandatory share
for PKR313.34 billion (USD1.95 buyout offer to up its stake in Egypt-
billion), BDT24.92 billion (USD290 based GTH to around 98.24%. GTH
million) and DZD70.19 billion will subsequently be delisted from
(USD590 million, including another the EGX.

Parliamentary Committee Recommends National Broadband Network
Remain in State Hands

Following an investigation into the Irish project. In addition, it suggested that a new almost EUR3 billion (USD3.3 billion) in
government’s decision to award preferred cost-benefit analysis should be carried the NBP project, it will have no ownership
bidder status for the National Broadband out before the final contract is signed rights to the infrastructure that is created.
Plan (NBP) contract to National Broadband with NBI later this year, while calling for It also raised concerns over the fact that
Ireland (NBI), a company led by private the government to re-engage with state- just one government representative is
investment firm Granahan McCourt, a owned power company Electricity Supply being appointed to the board of NBI. While
report by the Oireachtas Committee on Board (ESB) to examine the best model the Department of Communications,
Communications has recommended that for the delivery of a new broadband plan Climate Action & Environment (DCCAE)
the broadband network infrastructure via that company. The committee’s report has reportedly said it will consider the
remain in public ownership. According argued that the original terms of the NBP committee’s report when it is officially
to local news source RTE, in this report tender were too narrow, and that a lack of published, RTE cites a government
the committee also recommended research into the actual cost of the final source as saying the recommendations
that the state commission an external, project proved to be a structural flaw which it contains would mean abandoning the
independent review on whether its current led to prospective bidders withdrawing. current process and starting again, which
proposals, and the costs associated with Among other concerns raised by the report they claimed could take years.
them, are the only viable option for the NBP it noted that, while the state will invest

94 AUGUST 2019