Vodafone 2009 Annual Report Download - page 139

Vodafone Group Plc Annual Report 2009 137
Additional information
Egypt
Vodafone Egypt and Mobinil provide Etisalat with national roaming services under
terms agreed in conjunction with the Egyptian Government. Mobile number
portability between Vodafone Egypt, Mobinil and Etisalat was introduced in April
2008. Proposals for the award of a second fixed licence during 2008 were withdrawn
by the Government.
Vodafone Egypt will be required to pay 0.5% of its revenue into a universal service
fund from April 2009. The NTRA has issued a request for information for the provision
and operation of basic telecommunications services to unserved, low income areas
in five regions as a preliminary step towards a universal service tender.
New Zealand
The New Zealand NRA has initiated an investigation into mobile and SMS termination
rates and proposes an immediate reduction from 15.00 cents to 7.00 cents for voice
and 9. 50 cents to 1.00 cent for SMS. Vodafone has submitted alternative under takings
and the NRA will consult further before making final recommendations to the
Minister by the end of 2009. The New Zealand Government has invited comments
upon and expressions of interest in a proposal to establish local fibre companies to
construct and wholesale broadband fibre facilities. Vodafone has expressed an
interest in participating.
Qatar
In September 2008, Vodafone and the Qatar Foundation Consortium were
announced by ictQATAR as the winning applicant of the second fixed network and
services licence. In February 2009, the regulator, ictQATAR, extended the date of
Vodafone Qatar’s mobile licence coverage requirement of 98% population coverage
from 1 March 2009 to 1 September 2009 and imposed a voice and SMS commercial
service launch requirement by 1 July 2009.
In accordance with its mobile licence requirement, Vodafone Qatar completed a
public offering of 40% of its shareholding on the Doha Securities Market for Qatari
nationals and approved Qatari institutions on 10 May 2009.
Licences
The table below summarises the most significant mobile licences held by the Group’s
operating subsidiaries and the Group’s joint ventures in Italy and Vodacom in South
Africa at 31 March 2009.
Mobile licences
Country by region 2G licence expiry date 3G licence expiry date
Europe
Germany December 2016 December 2020
Italy February 2015 December 2021
Spain July 2023(1) April 2020
UK See note 2 December 2021
Albania June 2016 None issued
Greece August 2016(3) August 2021
Ireland May 2011(4) October 2022
Malta(5) September 2010 August 2020
Netherlands March 2013 December 2016
Portugal October 2021 January 2016
Africa and Central Europe
Vodacom: South Africa Annual(6) Annual(6)
Romania December 2011 March 2020
Turkey(7) April 2023 April 2029
Czech Republic January 2021 February 2025
Ghana December 2019 December 2023(8)
Hungary July 2014(9) December 2019(10)
Asia Pacific and Middle East
India(11) November 2014 – None issued
December 2026
Egypt January 2022 January 2022
Australia See note 12 October 2017
New Zealand See note 13 March 2021(13)
Qatar(14) June 2028 June 2028
Notes:
(1) Date relates to 1800 MHz spectrum licence. Spain also has a separate 900 MHz spectrum
licence, which expires in February 2020.
(2) Indefinite licence with a one year notice of revocation.
(3) The licence granted in 1992 (900 MHz spectrum) will expire in September 2012. The licence
granted in 2001 (900 and 1800 MHz spectrum) will expire in August 2016.
(4) Date refers to 900 MHz licence. Ireland also has a separate 1800 MHz spectrum licence which
expires in December 2015.
(5) Malta also holds a WiMAX licence, granted in October 2005, which expires in October 2020.
(6) Vodacom’s spectrum licences are renewed annually. As part of the migration to a new licensing
regime, the NR A has iss ued Vodacom a ser vice licence and a network lice nce , which will permit
Vodacom to offer mobile and fixed services. The service and network licences have a 20 year
duration and will expire in 2028.
(7) Turkey successfully bid to acquire a 3G licence in November 2008. The concession agreement
was signed in April 2009 and the licence will have a 20 year life from that date.
(8) The NRA has issued provisional licences with the intention of converting these to full licences
once the NRA board has been reconvened.
(9) There is an option to extend this licence for seven years.
(10) There is an option to extend this licence.
(11) India is comprised of 23 service areas with a variety of expiry dates. There is an option to extend
these licences by ten years.
(12) Australia holds a 900 MHz spectrum licence. This is a rolling five year licence, which expires in
June 2012. Vodafone Australia also holds two 1800 MHz spectrum licences. One of these
licences expires in June 2013 and the other in March 2015. All licences can be used for 2G and
3G at Vodafone’s discretion.
(13) New Zealand owns two 900 MHz licences, which expire in November 2011 and in June 2012.
These licences are expected to be renewed until November 2031. Additionally, Vodafone New
Zealand owns a 1800 MHz spectrum licence and a 2100 MHz licence, which expire in March
2021. All licences can be used for 2G and 3G at Vodafone’s discretion.
(14) In December 2007, a consortium including Vodafone was named as the successful applicant in
the auction for a mobile licence in Qatar, with the licence awarded in June 2008. Services were
launched under the Vodafone brand on 1 March 2009.