UK telecoms regulation, Ofcom, General Conditions, numbering, spectrum, switching, enforcement
This article was published in July 2013 and reflects the regulatory position at that time. For current guidance on this topic, contact Bratby Law or see our latest insights. Ooredoo (formerly known as QTel) and Telenor have won the process run by the executive branch of the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar for the award of…
Following its evaluation of applications, the Government of Myanmar today announced 12 pre-qualified applicants for the two national telecoms licences being allocated by tender: Axiata Group Bharti Airtel China Mobile and Vodafone Group Digicel Group France Telecom / Orange KDDI Corp and Sumitomo Corp Millicom International Cellular MTN Dubai Ooreedo (aka Qatar Telecom) Singtel, KBZ…
I was fortunate this week to be both a speaker and a panellist at Questex Asia’s ‘BYOD and Mobile Security conference held in Singapore. It turned out I was the only lawyer in a room of 200 plus IT people, which was an interesting experience. Having made my presentation (Olswang_Asia_BYOD_presentation) my conversations with delegates brought home…
After many twists and turns (see here for background), the UK auction of spectrum in the 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands started yesterday. Ofcom announced that the bidders are: Everything Everywhere Limited HKT (UK) Company Limited (a subsidiary of PCCW Limited) Hutchison 3G UK Limited MLL Telecom Ltd Niche Spectrum Ventures Limited (a subsidiary of BT…
Whilst the focus of this blog is the intersection of telecoms and technology with law and regulation, it does occasionally stray into ‘softer’ topics. With the first anniversary of our Singapore office coming up after the lunar new year, I was reflecting on what I had learnt in my time here. Just after arrival I had blogged about the importance of…
This article was published in January 2013 and reflects the regulatory position at that time. For current guidance on this topic, contact Bratby Law or see our latest insights. Following last year’s consultation, Singapore’s regulator announced on 16 January that it would be auctioning 270 MHz of spectrum for 4G, comprising 150 MHz of spectrum in…
Myanmar today (15 January 2013) invited expressions of interest for two national telecommunications services licences. I have blogged about the prospects for telecoms in Myanmar before, and today’s announcement starts to clear some of the fog obscuring the road ahead. Policy framework In the short press release, the Government recites that their policy framework is: “for the…
Thailand auctioned 45 MHz of 2.1 GHz spectrum on 16 October 2012 to the three incumbent mobile operators AIS, DTAC and True. Despite expectations that the auction could be delayed the auction went ahead as planned, although it is reported that the Thai auction and spectrum awards are the subject of litigation that could yet delay service deployment. With high…
When I opened my (electronic) Financial Times this morning, the headline ‘China slowdown hits Asian growth hopes’ seemed rather gloomy. As an expat European, I was bracing myself for bad news to follow, so was rather cheered to read the actual growth forecast for the region of 6.1%. Whilst that is a downward revision from the 6.9% forecast earlier in…
Regular readers will know that I am slowly working my way around the telecoms markets of SE Asia. Thailand has been a recent focus, culminating in a two-day trip to Bangkok to try to understand the market dynamics behind the recently announced 3G auctions. The auction is reported to be for 45 MHz of spectrum in 5MHz lots in…
Regular blog readers will be familiar with the long-running saga of the UK 4G auctions. (If you are looking for a speed read, these Ofcom media briefing slides give a rose-tinted view of the current status). On Tuesday this week Ofcom published a statement setting out its decisions on various outstanding issues and a draft Information Memorandum for bidders. Decisions Promoting…
I will be spending next week in Mumbai and Delhi (with @singarbitration), and in preparation have been contemplating the impact of the recent budget proposals on foreign investment, and in turn the implications for the Indian economy. Before going on any trip, I like to remind myself of some basic economic facts, so my trusty EIU ‘World…