Page 74 - SAMENA Trends - March-April 2025

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

The government of Canada has announced new mea- and transportation, and fixed wireless services for inter-
sures to make 5G millimetre wave spectrum available net in homes typically located in rural or remote areas.
for a range of new services. Millimetre wave (mmWave) The Canadian government says the mmWave spectrum
spectrum is high-frequency spectrum, typically ranging that it is making available will support services such as
Canada between 24-47 Ghz for 5G applications, that can carry smart agriculture, industrial automation and private net-
large quantities of data over short distances. Innova- works. “The emergence of new wireless technologies
tion, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Can- is supporting the creation and expansion of new spec-
ada is publishing an addendum to the Non-Competitive trum applications across different industries, including
Local Licensing Framework that will add millimetre manufacturing, health care, public safety and more,"
wave spectrum in the 27.5–28.35 GHz band. ISED will said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innova-
be consulting from March 06 to June 04, 2025, on milli- tion, Science and Industry. "Making new millimetre wave
metre wave spectrum in the 26 GHz and 38 GHz bands spectrum available will encourage the development of
for an upcoming spectrum auction. While mmWave new and disruptive business models, drive ongoing
spectrum can be cranked up to support massive speeds investment in networks, increase competition and im-
and throughput, the signals have the disadvantage of prove affordable connectivity options for Canadians
only being able to travel short distances and being sub- across the country.” Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural
ject to obstruction by solid objects. However, mmWave Economic Development, said making additional spec-
spectrum can support highly localised mobile services, trum available will improve connectivity for Canadians
new applications such as automation in manufacturing in rural and remote areas. (March 12, 2025) www.itwire.com

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Airbus China CEO Xu Gang as saying the new MIIT
(MIIT) has reportedly given approval to 13 foreign approvals will enable it to launch more sophisticated
companies to enter the telecoms sector to offer digital solutions for fleet management and operational
value added services in Beijing, Shanghai, Hainan efficiency. According to past reports, Tesla and HSBC
China and Shenzhen. According to a report from the official Fintech Services (Shanghai) were also planning to
Xinhua News Agency issued Friday, the companies are apply to participate in the pilot. The MIIT has given
allowed to offer services such as internet access and the greenlight to over 2,400 foreign-invested telecom
information services. The approvals were issued under a enterprises as of the end of February 2025, up 30% year
pilot program launched by MIIT in October 2024 to open on year, the report said. Apart from touting the benefits
up value-added telecom services in designated areas of added competition within the Chinese VAS sector,
in those four cities. The policy allows foreign investors Beijing has also positioned the policy as an inclusive,
to operate wholly-owned businesses such as internet investor-friendly alternative for overseas players amidst
data centers, and engage in online data processing “simmering global trade tensions and a global surge in
and transaction processing within the designated protectionism”, the Xinhua report said. The Ministry of
areas. They can also access China's cloud computing Commerce and the National Development and Reform
and computing power services. The report only named Commission unveiled a plan last month to stabilize
a few of the 13 companies, including T-Systems foreign investment in 2025. Among other things, the
P.R. China Ltd., which is affiliated with Deutsche plan includes open the telecoms VAS market further,
Telekom in China, and Siemens Digital Technology and introduce similar pilots for foreign investors in
(Shenzhen). The approvals also include Airbus China, biotechnology and hospitals, the report said.
which operates a digital platform for analyzing global (March 4, 2025) www.developingtelecoms.com
aircraft performance data. The Xinhua report quotes

Spanish multinational telecommunications company Telefonica, part of a strategy to gradually reduce its
Telefonica has agreed to sell its stake in its Colombian exposure to Latin America. In fact Telefonica has
unit to Millicom, a provider of fixed and mobile already divested from many markets in Latin America,
telecommunications services in Latin America, for US where returns were reportedly lower than capital cost,
Colombia $400 million. Statements released by both companies to focus on its businesses in Spain, Brazil, the UK and
indicate that the Spanish unit of Luxembourg- Germany. Reuters reports that newly appointed Chief
headquartered telecom Millicom will buy the 67.5% Executive Marc Murtra has said the company plans
stake in Telefonica Colombian. This move has been to complete a strategic review before the end of this
expected for some time. Indeed, at the end of July 2024 year. Last month, Telefonica sold its unit in Argentina
we were among many outlets reporting that Telefonica and earlier this month it was widely reported that the
had signed a non-binding agreement with Millicom company had started the process to sell its units in
to explore a possible deal. The move is, according to Mexico and Peru.(March 14, 2025) www.developingtelecoms.com

74 MARCH-APRIL 2025