Page 67 - SAMENA Trends - May 2025

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

frequencies for maritime communications that alert their citizens to hazardous animal. ITU and its partners are developing
and developing standards for maritime events. UN agencies and international standards to ensure farmers worldwide
radio systems. ITU ensures vital organizations are working together to can access these technologies to produce
maritime communication channels are harness the latest tools and technologies more with less.
free from interference, enabling reliable to bring effective early warning systems to Connected schools, connected
communication pathways are free for all. ITU encourages countries to work with communities
distress signals and navigation guidance. mobile network operators from the private It is estimated that half of the world’s
By fostering cooperation between sector to send alerts directly to people’s schools are not connected to the internet
governments, industry stakeholders, and phones. These alerts reach those in at-risk and the opportunities it brings. Schools
international organizations, ITU keeps areas, saving precious time and lives. connected to the internet can serve as digital
global maritime communication systems Transforming Agriculture hubs for students, families, communities
robust, reliable, and secure. Global food production may need to and businesses, thereby helping to achieve
Early warnings for all increase by 70% from 2005 to 2050 to a country’s progress towards multiple UN
Our climate is changing. Heatwaves, floods, match population growth, according to Sustainable Development Goals. ITU’s
droughts, wildfires and tropical cyclones latest estimates. Innovations in artificial Giga initiative with UNICEF stands out for
are becoming more intense. About three intelligence, the Internet of Things, drones, its ambitious goal to connect all schools
and a half billion people live in places that and robotics are transforming farming with by 2030: over 2.1 million schools in 141
are highly vulnerable to extreme weather. precise, sustainable techniques – down to countries have been mapped so far using
Many countries lack early warning systems a single square meter or individual plant or technology.

Bangladesh Proposes Conditional Concessions Over 700MHz Spectrum

Auction

The government has formally responded to reconsider the auction's timing and pricing blaming inadequate deployment of critical
concerns raised by major foreign telecom structure. Signed by senior executives infrastructure like Baseband Units (BBU)
investors regarding the upcoming 700MHz of Axiata, Telenor, and Veon, the letter and Radio Resource Units (RRU) for
spectrum auction, proposing conditional highlighted three key issues with the current fragmented networks, slow speeds and
pricing concessions to ease industry plan: the limited amount of spectrum frequent call drops. It accused operators
apprehensions. Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special being released, the disproportionately high of maintaining "artificially" high internet
assistant to the chief adviser with executive pricing and limited device compatibility prices and restrictive data validity periods,
authority over the Ministry of Posts, with the 700MHz band. Citing a 40 perpetuating a "vicious cycle" that limits
Telecommunications and ICT, suggested percent devaluation of the Bangladeshi digital adoption despite low utilisation
a potential 5-10 percent reduction in Taka against the US dollar since 2022, rates. "Mobile network operators have
spectrum prices. However, this discount Taiyeb defended its dollar-denominated not shown proper willingness to adjust
would be contingent upon mobile network spectrum valuation as a safeguard against consumer pricing accordingly. Moreover,
operators committing to infrastructure currency risks for foreign-dominated the very short data validity period of national
upgrades, lowering consumer prices telecom operators, which repatriate profits internet packages is being criticised in
and enhancing service quality. The move in USD. Responding to concerns over society," Taiyeb said. "This seems to be
comes after foreign investors expressed partial release of spectrum in the 700 MHz a coordinated vicious cycle that mobile
reservations about the auction, citing high band -- 2x25MHz out of a total 2x45MHz network operators have artificially
costs and uncertain returns. In a letter -- Taiyeb said efforts were underway to engineered, holding back the growth of
dated March 25, Taiyeb acknowledged resolve technical and commercial barriers internet services," he added. The telecom
investor apprehensions about spectrum for releasing the remainder, emphasising regulator aims to auction spectrum in the
costs, limited bandwidth availability and the band's role in expanding 4G/5G 700 MHz band this year to support the
device compatibility, but underscored the coverage and IoT services. While noting expansion of 4G and rollout 5G networks in
state's focus on aligning pricing with global 50 percent of existing 4G devices already the country. It set the price at Tk 263 crore
standards and addressing systemic sectoral support 700MHz, the government revealed per MHz, but mobile operators are unhappy
inefficiencies. Earlier on March 17, major plans to mandate local manufacturers with that decision so further negotiations
international telecom investors expressed and importers to halt non-compliant are anticipated in this regard. The latest
concerns about the proposed parameters device sales -- a policy expected to boost spectrum auction took place in March 2022,
for the upcoming auction, citing technical, penetration "significantly" within months. when the Bangladesh Telecommunication
commercial and economic challenges. In a The letter sharply criticised mobile Regulatory Commission fetched around
joint letter addressed to Taiyeb, the parent network operators for underutilising $1.23 billion as operators acquired a total
companies of Bangladesh's leading mobile higher-frequency spectrum bands (7–18 of 190MHz spectrum.
network operators urged the government to percent usage) intended for urban capacity,

67 MAY 2025