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Andrei Lipov, head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications (Roskomnadzor), met with Iranian telecoms minister Issa Zarepour to discuss internet regulation and telecoms collaboration

Over the weekend, the head of the Russian telecoms regulator Roskomnadzor reportedly met with the Iranian telecoms minister to discuss “issues related to the internet”.

The primary focus of the meeting was to discuss ‘the protection of children online’, according to a statement from the Iranian government, which said it had valuable experience in this area to share with Russia.

The discussions also included collaboration around spectrum strategy, including potentially sharing spectrum to boost the quality and speed of internet services.

Finally, the duo discussed how they could best align their positions within the International Telecoms Union (ITU).

Lipov is also expected to meet with Amir Lajevardi, Iran’s deputy minister of ICT, this week, “to discuss opportunities for increased presence of Iranian telecoms companies in the Russian market”.

Russia and Iran both have terrible records when it comes to internet freedoms, including a long history of censorship and even internet blackouts.

Since 2012, Russia has maintained a centralised internet blacklist, known as the ‘single register’, overseen by Roskomnadzor. Over the years, the scope of the sites included on the single register has expanded from a focussing on drug use and pornography to encompass numerous social media sites, including both Facebook (Meta) and Twitter in 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In 2019, the government also initiated plans forcing the country’s telecoms network operators to install equipment allowing them to separate the Russian internet ecosystem (Runet) from the wider internet if ordered to do so by the government.

Iran’s internet censorship, meanwhile, is even stricter, blocking numerous major social media sites, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat, Reddit, Medium, Instagram, and Threads. The government has also repeatedly shut down access to the internet completely during times of civil unrest, including during the 2019 fuel protests and the Mahsa Amini protests in 2022 and 2023.

Both Russia and Iran argue that they are under digital attack by the West, claiming that social media sites are being used to fuel unrest and anti-government sentiment.

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The network will provide 4G services to individuals, homes, and businesses throughout the country 

Last week, Airtel Rwanda launched its highly anticipated 4G LTE Network. The firm is Rwanda’s first mobile network operator to secure its own 4G license and launch its own 4G network.  

The launch has been made possible by a government change in licensing strategy.  

Previously, Airtel could only provide their LTE services through Korea Telecom Rwanda Networks, who had a wholesale monopoly in the country.  

In February this year, however, the Rwandan government announced a change in licensing rules, which would allow other telcos to launch their own 4G networks, in the interest of increasing competition to accelerate the country’s access to high-speed mobile services. 

Airtel’s 4G tariff plans have launched at the same price point as its existing 3G plans, which Airtel Rwanda hopes will drive up adoption of 4G devices to boost digital inclusion across the country. 

“The company remains committed to leading innovation in the Rwandan market by providing choice to Rwandans because of significant investment in network coverage, consistent network quality, an improved quality of service in addition to delivery on market leading value for money,” said Airtel Rwanda’s Managing Director, Emmanuel Hamez.  

The move comes after the Rwandan government introduced The National and Broadband Policy and Strategy in October last year, aiming to transform Rwanda into a competitive digital economy.  

Airtel says it plans to expand its network infrastructure coverage and increase its support for the country’s new digital strategies. 

How is the African telecommunications market evolving in 2023? Join the operators in discussion at this year’s Total Telecom Congress live from Amsterdam. 

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Market research firm Dell’Oro has revised the global market share forecast of Open RAN downwards for the first time since tracking the technology began 

According to a new report, Open RAN cumulative revenue predictions have been lowered by 5% to 10% from now until 2027. The firm cites “hesitancy about the next generation architectures” for the downward revision. 

Currently, Open RAN makes up a ‘mid-single digit share’ of the RAN market, estimated at between 6-10%. 

“We can think of this revision more as a near-term calibration than a change in the long-term growth trajectory,” said Vice President and analyst Stefan Pongratz from Dell’Oro Group.  

“We continue to believe that Open RAN is here to stay and the growing support by the incumbent suppliers bolsters this thesis.” 

This is the first negative forecast revision that Dell’Oro has given Open RAN. This follows three years of revenue accelerating faster than expected and multiple positive forecasts, most recently in January. 

Dell’Oro noted in its report that while European operators have taken a lead in announcing their ambitious Open RAN targets, their deployment has been slow, with focus remaining on building out 5G using traditional RAN technology. The forecast therefore reflects these delays and assumes further ones.  

However, the forecast still expects the European market to become a leader in Open RAN, worth over $1 billion by 2027. 

Open RAN revenue is forecast to make up 15–20% of the total global RAN network by 2027. 

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Swedish equipment vendor’s staff in Iraq have reportedly had their working permit revoked due to ongoing conflicts surrounding the burning of the Quran in Stockholm

Last Wednesday, Iraqi protestors stormed and set alight the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, in retaliation for a planned burning of the Quran in Stockholm.

No embassy staff were harmed during the assault, all of whom have now been relocated to Stockholm.

Tensions between Sweden and various Islamic groups and governments had been growing for some time, ever since an Iraqi man burned the Quran outside a Stockholm mosque last month in a protest sanctioned by Swedish police. Naturally, this act was highly controversial, receiving much media attention and broad condemnation from the Islamic world.

Nonetheless, that same man announced another sanctioned book burning plan for last Thursday, sparking the Swedish embassy protests in Iraq itself.

Now, this conflict is beginning to extend beyond diplomatic channels, with reports from Iraqi state news suggesting that Swedish telecoms equipment vendor Ericsson has had staff work permits revoked by the Iraq government.

Since then, however, Farhad Alaaldin, an advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, has rejected these claims by the media, saying that no Swedish companies had had their work licences revoked as part of the ongoing unrest.

Ericsson says it is exploring the issue, noting that the safety and security of its staff remained the company’s highest priority.

Iraq is a relatively small market for Ericsson, with the company currently stationing just 30 staff in the country full-time.

However, despite its small scale, the company’s Iraq operations have been a major headache for the Swedish vendor in recent years, after an internal investigation last year revealed that the company may have bribed terrorists in the region around a decade ago.

Further investigations into the Ericsson’s conduct during this period are ongoing, though the company agreed to plead guilty and pay a $206 million fine for breaching a related deferred prosecution deal with US authorities, earlier this year.

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Also in the news:
Vodafone warns of investment cuts if Three merger is blocked
Vodafone and Three UK closing in on merger
Dish and EchoStar consider merger