Our MENA Telecoms Update highlights the most significant regulatory events occurring in the region between 15 April and 15 July 2023.
Saudi Arabia started to receive applications for 450 MHz band spectrum to provide specialised radio networks, with the telecoms regulator CST wanting to use a beauty contest approach to decide on the awards. Tunisia increased annual spectrum fees, as well as setting fees for bands above 3 GHz.
Algeria is preparing for new universal service projects to provide 4G coverage for areas with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants. New quality of service regulation in Qatar required operators to adopt an automatic consumer compensation scheme for service outages, with any such scheme requiring approval from the telecoms regulator. Saudi Arabia set out lower price floors for retail international calls. The new floors were set at the same level as the national mobile termination rates.
The Turkish administrative court annulled the telecoms regulator’s decision on the deregulation of the fixed telephony network access market. The regulator must now carry out a new market analysis.
In Oman, Starlink obtained a licence to provide fixed broadband satellite services and expects to launch its commercial service in 3Q 2023. Ooredoo launched a tender to sell its tower portfolio.
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