The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) plans to introduce regulations that would ensure stringent controls on the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating in the country.
The proposed regulations aim at curtailing the growing number of ISPs operating mostly in urban centres in Kenya.
According to CA, the use of unauthorised ISPs is on the rise in the country and the users are deploring wireless technologies on licence-free frequency bands intended for industrial, scientific, and medical applications (ISM).
The proposals include making changes to the licensing framework for legitimate operators under the NFP-T3 category and the introduction of a new NFP-T4 license aimed at smaller providers.
Under the proposed regulations, NFP-T3 licensees would be allowed to expand their area of coverage from one county to three counties, provided they comply with the new licensing restrictions.
Operators with an NFP-T3 license will also be allowed to deploy satellite systems, including satellite hubs, without technology limitations, provided they adhere to county scope limitations.
However, for each additional city or county they serve without the required authorization, individuals found to be operating outside the three-county limit without upgrading to an NFP-T2 license will be penalized 0.2 per cent of their yearly gross turnover.
Smaller providers would be encouraged by the proposed NFP-T4 licensing type, which would restrict operators to a single county.
An application fee of Ksh1,000, an initial fee of Ksh15,000, and an annual operating license fee (AOL) of Ksh15,000 or 0.4 per cent of annual gross turnover, whichever is higher, would also be part of the specific fee structure associated with this license. A 15-year license duration would be established.
