Somali telecommunication industry regulator on Saturday officially launched a consultation process for the country’s first licensing regime for the information communications and technologies (ICT) sector.
The National Communications Authority (NCA) said the draft Unified Licensing Framework (ULF) would allow the provision of multiple services through the introduction of service and technology-neutral licenses that would promote innovation and consumer choice.
“We wanted to start from where the global trend is now. Therefore, our ULF does not only take local context into consideration but also has a forward-looking vision to encourage our companies to compete globally,” NCA’s general manager Abdi Sheik Ahmed said during the launch in Mogadishu.
The day-long meeting was attended by local stakeholders including telecom operators, internet service providers (ISPs), domain registrars, broadcasters, and relevant government institutions.
The Horn of African nation did not have an official licensing regime since the state-run telecom operator ceased its operations in 1991.
The draft licensing framework is the latest intervention to regulate the sector as part of its economic reform agenda of the Economic Development Pillar of the current government. Enditem
