Page 101 - SAMENA Trends - July-September 2024

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

REGULATORY ACTIVITIES BEYOND

THE SAMENA REGION

Telecoms regulator AKEP has officially opened the authorization is granted. This minimum price required
competition for the first frequencies to be used for is apparently higher than neighboring countries like
5G. This will involve five blocks in the 3400-3800MHz Kosovo and North Macedonia, though the population of
frequency band – two of 80MHz and three of 40MHz. For Albania, at about 2.4 million, is higher too. The deadline
Albania the 80MHz blocks, the minimum bid from participants for submitting offers is 17 October of this year. The
in the auction must be EUR3.634 million (about US$4 conditions of the tender require coverage of 55% of the
million). For the 40MHz blocks, the minimum bid is population with 5G services by 2027 and 85% of the
EUR1.812 (about US$2million). A single bidder will population by 2030. A number of ports, airports and
not be able to win more than three usage rights or industrial zones and hospitals are to be covered by
160MHz of spectrum in total. According to the local the end of 2025. All cities must be covered by 2028.
news service, CAN, AKEP could earn somewhere in As CAN notes, there is nothing stopping new entrants
the region of EUR12.7 million (US$14.05 million) from from bidding. However, the modest size of the Albanian
the auction. The same source says that bids will win market and the large investments needed to set up
on price only, with payment in two instalments: 50% networks make the arrival of new players unlikely.
after the win and the remaining sum six months after (September 2, 2024) www.developingtelecoms.com

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission decade The partnership will involves establishing a
(ACCC) will not oppose the proposed regional mobile Top Secret (TS) AWS cloud in Australia, which the
network and spectrum sharing agreements between country will move its secret intelligence data to, in
local carriers Optus Mobile Ltd and TPG Telecom. Optus collaboration with the Australian Signals Directorate
Australia and TPG had entered into three agreements that relate (an Australian government intelligence agency). The
to the provision of mobile services in certain regional platform aims to enhance the resilience of ICT services
coverage areas in Australia. In these areas, Optus will for the government and could create up to 2,000 local
use TPG spectrum in the 700 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3.6 GHz jobs. The TS Cloud will support secure storage and
and 3.7 GHz bands, while Optus will provide TPG with analysis of Australia’s most sensitive data, leveraging
network services. Under the agreements, TPG will advanced technologies like AI and machine learning.
decommission most of its sites in the coverage area, This initiative is expected to strengthen the defence
while some will be transferred to Optus. The ACCC said department’s communication networks and facilitate
in a release that it had considered the effects of the closer collaboration with allied nations such as the
agreements on competition for retail and wholesale UK and the US, who already use AWS cloud computing
mobile services in Australia, adding that it found in their governments. The Defence minister Richard
that the agreements are unlikely to substantially Marles said in a press release that the deal would
lessen competition. “The ACCC carefully considered increase “interoperability” with the US and “ensure we
the arrangement proposed by Optus and TPG, as it have a far more resilient, capable, lethal, modern and
represents a structural change to the mobile services potent defence force in the future”. “My government
landscape,” ACCC Commissioner Philip Williams said is bolstering our defence and national intelligence
“The agreements will allow TPG to provide better community to ensure they can deliver world leading
coverage in regional areas, which will likely enhance its protection for our nation,” said Australian Prime Minister
ability to compete during the term of the agreements, Anthony Albanese. “We face a range of complex and
improving choice for regional consumers,” he added. serious security challenges and I am incredibly proud
Williams also noted that the agreements are likely to of the work our national security agencies undertake
support Optus’ regional 5G rollout, particularly through on a daily basis to keep Australians safe. We must
access to TPG’s spectrum. never underestimate their value and importance. That
(September 6, 2024) www.rcrwireless.com is what this investment today is about,” he continued.
AWS plans to engage local businesses in designing
The Australian Government has announced a strategic and building the TS Cloud, offering opportunities for
partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to innovation in cybersecurity, data analytics, and cloud
bolster Australia’s cybersecurity capabilities with computing.
an investment of at least $2 billion over the next (July 8, 2024) www.totaltele.com

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