Page 65 - SAMENA Trends - March-April 2025

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Korean Operators Fined $79M for Collusion

South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission
(FTC) penalised the country’s three major
mobile operators a combined KRW114
billion ($78.5 million) for illegal handset
promotions and colluding to keep sales
incentives at similar levels. The commission
reportedly fined SKT KRW42.7 billion, LG
Uplus KRW38.3 billion and KT KRW33 billion.
South Korea’s trade regulator determined
the companies agreed to work together to
stabilise subscriber churn, with an operator
reducing incentives when additions rose
and raising them when new users declined,
the news service stated. The FTC alleged
the operators coordinated to monitor net
increases and decreases on a daily basis
to avoid fluctuations between November
2015 and September 2022. In October
2024, the FTC faced a standoff with the
Korea Communications Commission over
penalties relating to handset promotions.

US FCC Seeks Faster Copper Removal

US Federal Communications Commission providers to pour resources into maintain- triggered when operators stopped offering
(FCC) chair Brendan Carr outlined initial ac- ing aging and expensive copper-based net- a legacy service to new customers along
tions to streamline the process for remov- works instead of investing in more modern with endeavouring to free operators from
ing legacy copper lines, a plan he stated infrastructure. “Outdated FCC rules have notification requirements “in cases where
would free-up operators’ investments in left Americans sitting in the slow lane for they provide no demonstrable benefit”. The
new high-speed networks. The FCC noted far too long,” he stated. Carr explained the FCC processed more than 400 network
while it is pushing for faster retirement of initial actions would ultimately free up bil- change disclosure filings over the past two
copper lines, it would keep consumer pro- lions of dollars for new networks. The FCC years, during which it did not receive a sin-
tection plans in place. These include “re- plans to offer a pass through its Wireline gle comment in opposition to a disclosure.
quiring interoperability and guarding Competition Bureau allowing operators to “This initial set of actions gets things mov-
against price hikes by ensuring that con- retire copper networks “not only in cases ing in the right direction and creates the
sumers transitioning to new networks get where replacement voice services are avail- right incentives for providers to invest and
access to services at similar or lower price able on a standalone basis, but in cases build new networks in communities across
points”, it stated. Carr is pushing for wider where those services are available on a the country,” Carr said.
deregulation across the telecoms sector. bundled basis”. It also seeks to adopt an
He noted current FCC rules force service order waiving “unnecessary requirements”

65 MARCH-APRIL 2025