Page 128 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2019

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The Croatian Competition Agency (Agencija za zastitu be completed in the first half of next year, subject to
trzisnog natjecanja, AZTN) has opened a Phase II regulatory clearance. United Group has a number of
investigation into the sale of Tele2 Croatia to United telecoms and media operations across southeast
Group. Sweden’s Tele2 Group, which announced Europe, while Tele2 is the smallest of Croatia’s three
Croatia plans to sell its Croatian unit at the end of May, says mobile network operators (MNOs), with around 19% of
the EUR220 million (USD242 million) deal should
all subscribers. (November 26, 2019) telegeography.com

The state-owned telecoms operator Empresa de Cuban citizens twelve months ago and the launch of
Telecomunicaciones de Cuba (ETECSA) has announced 4G for pre-paid customers in October. ETECSA had a
that its mobile subscriber base has reached six million. total of 5.37 million wireless subscribers at the end of
The milestone follows the opening up of 3G services to 2018. (December 19, 2019) commsupdate.com
Cuba

The government of Cyprus is planning to hold a 5G ‘the post-tax surplus is estimated to be significantly
tender in March 2020, to award the spectrum available higher than budgeted, while an increase in the total
in the 700MHz and 3.6GHz bands, the Financial revenue of the utility is expected, reversing the trend
Mirror writes. The OCECPR is aiming to allocate the of decreasing revenue in recent years.’ Following the
Cyprus 5G-suitable spectrum in the 700MHz band by 30 June meeting, Committee Chairman and Diko MP Angelos
Votsis stated that the improving financial results were
2020, while the 3.6GHz spectrum will be allocated by
31 December 2020. (December 20, 2019) commsupdate.com ‘proof that the company is right to remain as is and
continue to offer quality services’, adding that his party
The leaders of three Cypriot opposition parties – the would not approve the budget for studies on whether
Democratic Party (Diko), the Progressive Party of the utility should issue shares or make partnerships, as
Working People (Akel) and the Green Party – have ‘this is an indirect way to discuss privatization again.’
stated that they would not approve a budget of The privatization of public organizations including
EUR500,000 (USD553,000) earmarked for studies on Cyta was one of Cyprus’ commitments to its Troika
whether Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (Cyta) of international lenders – the IMF, the EC and the
should sell shares and forge partnerships, arguing this European Central Bank (ECB) – which was met with
would be just an indirect way of privatizing the operator. resistance from the opposition and the company itself.
Cyta’s board Chairperson Rena Rouvitha Panou told While a new bill outlining the privatization was to be
MPs that Cyta’s post-tax surplus for 2018 amounted presented to parliament in January 2017, the process
to EUR60.6 million, claiming this was the highest level has since stalled due to disagreements between the
of profit for the last seven years. Regarding 2019, majorities of parties in parliament.
the executive said that based on indications to date, (November 21, 2019) telegeography.com

The government of Czechia may postpone the planned TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, in October this year –
auction of 5G mobile frequencies from January to following a public consultation on the draft terms and
mid-2020 in a bid to entice greater participation in the conditions of the auction of 5G network frequencies in
process, minister of industry and trade Karel Havlicek the 700MHz and 3400MHz–3600MHz (3.5GHz) bands
Czech is quoted as saying Tuesday (17 December). With – the Czech Telecommunication Office (CTU) revised its
the Czech authorities keen to attract a new national
framework dates for conducting the selection process,
Republic mobile operator to drive competition in a market with the call for tenders postponed from autumn 2019
where the high cost of services have been a perennial until the beginning of January 2020. The watchdog is
complaint of users, CTK news agency quoted Mr. seeking to allocate the frequencies in a bid to bolster
Havlicek as confirming the reason for the delay before competition in the Czech market where high prices
the tender takes place for 700MHz and 3500MHz have long been criticized by politicians and end users
frequencies. ‘If it has been debated for several years, alike. Previously, in June 2019, the CTU published the
then it is not the most important thing whether it will draft plan of the 5G auction, the terms and conditions
take place in January or May,’ Havlicek said, adding of which are based on previously published principles
that the prospective fourth operator should ‘crash’ which the regulator documented over the past year
the competitive landscape. As previously reported by in its efforts to maximize the transparency of the

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