Page 118 - SAMENA Trends - May-June 2024

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Commerce Commission has granted clearance for lessen competition in telecommunications products
local carrier One New Zealand Group to acquire 100% and services compared with the counterfactual. Post-
of the shares in Dense Air New Zealand, the body said acquisition, One NZ would continue to face significant
in a statement. The commission noted that Dense competition from other retail mobile and broadband
New Air currently owns the management rights to 2×35 providers,” said John Small, head of the commission.
megahertz of spectrum in the 2.6 GHz band. In reaching
“We do not consider that the acquisition is likely to
Zealand its decision, the commission considered the potential substantially affect [rival telco] 2degrees’ competitive
impact of the proposed acquisition on competition in effectiveness. While the acquisition means that it will
wholesale and retail telecommunications markets in not have any spectrum in the 2.6 GHz band, it has access
New Zealand. The body considered that the acquisition to other spectrum in the mid-band that it can deploy. In
is unlikely to substantially lessen competition in the addition, 2degrees has options to expand the capacity
domestic telecom market. “Based on the evidence of its network by deploying its existing spectrum at
before us, we are satisfied that One NZ acquiring more sites and by improving spectral efficiency,” Small
Dense Air’s spectrum is unlikely to substantially added. (May 8, 2024) www.rcrwireless.com

Nigeria’s economic growth faces a potential hurdle due accounted for 13.5 per cent of total GDP in 2023, GSMA
to the decline in the telecommunication contribution to noted. However, in Q1 2024, the telecom sector’s GDP
the Gross Domestic Product. This decline is because contribution in real terms dropped by 12.60 per cent
Nigeria of the sector’s weakening financial performance. The quarter-on-quarter to N2.67 trillion, due to sustained
telecoms sector has long been one of the pillars of the
losses by telecom operators. The information and
Nigerian economy, which is heavily reliant on its services communication sector, dominated by the telecoms
sector. “The telecoms sector is a major contributor to sector, also experienced a 9.89 per cent decline in
the economy of Nigeria and provides the foundations q-o-q in real terms. While it achieved a year-on-year
for the digital transformation process,” said GSMA, the growth rate of 5.43 per cent, it still experienced a 4.89
global industry body for telcos. Telecom was one of percentage points decline from the corresponding
the sectors that helped the country exit a recession in period of 2023.
the fourth quarter of 2020. The mobile telecoms sector (May 28, 2024) www.businessday.ng

Satellite provider Intelsat has become the first foreign SPPO license to raise connectivity quality and reach
company to secure regulatory clearance to sell its in the Philippines. In particular, Intelsat’s entry in the
services in the Philippines to broadband and mobile country is seen to improve the reliability and speed of
operators. Intelsat announced that it has received internet services in the countryside. With the license, the
Philippines government approval to sell its products to telco carriers Philippine partners of Intelsat can expand their cellular
coverage beyond the terrestrial limits of their respective
in the Philippines, making it the first foreign GEO satellite
operator to enter the country. Intelsat was granted a infrastructure setup. Internet service providers (ISP)
satellite service providers and operators (SPPO) license may also work with Intelsat to reach some of the most
by the Department of Information and Communications isolated barangays. Given that Intelsat’s satellites fly in
Technology, allowing it to provide network-from- space, telcos can maximize them to add redundancy to
space and backhaul solutions to telcos across the their land-based assets like fiber cables.
archipelago. The government provided Intelsat with an (May 29, 2024) www.philstar.com

Internet users in Romania last year recorded an average speeds connecting to fixed line networks. In 2023, the
download speed of 587Mbps for fixed line internet in average download speed for wi-fi was 156Mbps which
2023, up by around 10% compared to 2022, and an was up 15% compared to 2022, while the average upload
average upload speed of 548Mbps, up by an impressive speed was 126Mbps (up 13%). “From the analysis of
Romania 20%, according to Romanian regulator ANCOM based statistics for 2023 for fixed internet, there is generally a
on tests it carried out using its Netograf platform, consolidation of a trend of balancing average download
which offers access to detailed statistics on several and upload speeds in fixed networks (cable and wi-fi) for
broadband quality parameters. In all the regulator large providers on the Romanian market (depending on
carried out 85,000 fixed line tests. One of the more the number of connections), which suggests adapting
striking findings from ANCOM is the big jump in wi-fi electronic communications services to users’ needs,”

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