Senegal’s Authority of Regulation of Telecommunications & Post (L’Autorite de Regulation des Telecommunications et des Postes, ARTP) has issued a decision setting the terms and conditions for utilising the 868MHz-870MHz frequency band for M2M/IoT network communications and services, following a public consultation launched in November 2018. The ARTP’s announcement highlighted that it has adopted a ‘flexible’ framework for usage of the band for low power, wide area (LPWA) IoT technologies, adding that the objectives of the decision are to: foster the development of an innovative IoT market in Senegal and the emergence of new players; promote uses with high added value and strong social impact; support the development of priority sectors of the national economy; and prepare the future framework for IoT technologies based on frequency bands for exclusive use such as LTE-M and NB-IoT.
MTS Belarus has partnered Minsk gas provider Minskoblgaz to pilot domestically-manufactured NB-IoT-connected gas meters installed in apartments in Minsk city and region. MTS Belarus’ 900MHz NB-IoT network was launched commercially in January 2018, with international NB-IoT roaming tested on the network in March 2019 in partnership with its parent MTS (Russia).
Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) has issued Internet of Things Virtual Network Operator (IoT-VNO) licences to Dawiyat Integrated Telecommunications & Information Technology and MachinesTalk. The two licensees must now secure wholesale agreements with domestic mobile operators, before targeting the smart meter, logistics and transport segments. The concessions were awarded by Mohammed Al-Tamimi, governor of the CITC, at the third Saudi International Exhibition & Conference for IoT in Riyadh.
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