Page 111 - SAMENA Trends - March-April 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

(ANF), agreed and pledged the upper 6GHz I highlight that the Tunisian administration at least 6,425-7,125 MHz available for
band for mobile, as previous allocations to allocated the 5GHz for WiFi since 2017 licensed 5G. The trade body also stated
WiFi have not hit requirement targets. “The and the exploitation of this band has not 2GHz of mid-band should be guaranteed
ANF has registered no interest in allocating exceeded 20% of what was promised.” The between 2025-2030 and highlighted how
the upper 6GHz band for unlicensed WiFi GSMA with backing from Ericsson, Huawei, 6GHz is the only mid-band wave with GHz-
6 as the need of Tunisia is to reinforce the Nokia and ZTE put out a statement in May level bandwidth.
mobile network and the transport network. last year, calling on governments to make

CITC Launches New Licensing Approach for Telecommunications Sector

Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology
Commission (CITC) launched a new licensing approach for the
telecommunications sector, on the sidelines of the annual ICT
Indicators Forum 2022. In a statement, the CITC stated that the
procedure comes as part of its efforts to enhance the Kingdom's
leadership in facilitating business, adopting a more liberalized
licensing system, and developing the sector's regulatory
environment in accordance with the international best practices.
The new approach restructured licenses and relevant financial
considerations. The licenses were, accordingly, re-divided into four
types, three of them are individual, and one is general that includes
13 licenses, the authority stated. It added that the division reflects
the authority's efforts to maintain the market balance, attract more
investments to the Kingdom, and boost its role as a digital regulator.

PTA Likely to Review Telecom Infrastructure Provider Licensing Framework

The Pakistan Telecommunication Stations infrastructure service providers facility owners. Licensees will be obliged
Authority (PTA) is likely to review the by opening up the market to new entrants to establish lawful interception at all such
Telecom Infrastructure Provider (TIP) as well as existing licensees. The licensing facilities as part of licensing obligation.
licensing framework and may reorganize obligations for interested investors/ All such facilities will adhere to National
it for the advent of Carrier Neutral Data licensees shall be articulated in accordance Cybersecurity Policy – 2021 directives for
Centers and Cable Landing Stations with the stipulations of the Personal Data securing the locations and the same will
infrastructure service providers by opening Protection Act – 2021 and other appropriate apply to all the hosted service providers.
up the market to new entrants as well as guidelines in practice. To lower market International operators/service providers
existing licensees. Official documents barriers for new entrants, all telecom using such facilities for telephony/internet
revealed that owing to increasing infrastructure and services licensees will traffic transit purposes without landing
indigenous demand for local/international be obliged to ensure their presence for the traffic locally will be exempted from
content, collection and processing of cross/inter-connect purposes. PTA will lawful interception and other obligations
data and for improving the access to the invite international operators to host their applied on local licensees. In this regard,
internet, PTA is likely to organize a study services in such facilities by having inter/ a simplistic encouraging framework shall
to assess the prevailing market practices cross-connect arrangements with local be developed by PTA in-consultation
concerning co-locations services, cross/ licensees. No international operator will with respective stakeholders and the
inter connects and cloud services and be permitted to offer their services directly Ministry of Information Technology and
the impact of carrier-neutral data centers in the market without having a license or Telecommunication (MoITT) to effectively
and cable landing stations on the existing a formal arrangement with a legitimate utilize the technology zones/industrial
market. With the help of such a study, PTA licensee under intimation to PTA. For zones allocated and available areas
will review the Telecom Infrastructure ensuring necessary compliance, PTA will already established in Pakistan in addition
Provider (TIP) licensing framework and visit such facilities periodically and will to other investment model facilitations
will reorganize it for the advent of Carrier ensure maximum transparency of the with redundant commercial power and
Neutral Data Centers and Cable Landing different services being rendered by the redundant optic connectivity ecosystems.

111 MARCH-APRIL 2022