Kenya’s ICT Regulator Seeks Public Views on Major Licensing and Broadcasting Reforms
Kenya’s ICT Authority invites public feedback on telecom licensing reforms, DVB-T2 digital receiver standards, and digital radio broadcasting frameworks.
The Communications Authority of Kenya is seeking public views on three key regulatory initiatives meant to spur the growth of the ICT sector.
The first is the review of the telecommunications market structure which seeks to relook the current technology neutral Unified Licensing Framework (ULF) for the telecommunications market structure that has been in existence for over a decade now.
The review, will focus on addressing and removing certain market entry and operational barriers identified over time, provide greater clarity on the scope of the various licenses and propose new licensing areas in line with the current ICT sector policy.
The stakeholder views are expected to enrich the review process in line with the Constitutional requirement of public participation in public policy making. Stakeholders have until 23rd January, 2025 to submit their comments.
At the same time, the Authority is inviting stakeholder view on the proposed updated minimum technical specifications and requirements for the second generation Terrestrial Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB-T2) receivers.
Kenya adopted the DVB-T2 standard for terrestrial digital television broadcasting in readiness for the digital migration that was implemented in 2015 in accordance with the international deadline for analogue switch-off. During the same period, the Authority issued minimum technical requirements for DVB-T2 Digital Set top Boxes (STB) and for Integrated Digital Television (iDTV) in order to facilitate availability of digital receivers locally for reception of digital terrestrial television transmissions.
‘‘The proposed update will ensure that only those digital receivers that comply with the current technical standards will be approved for use in Kenya,’’ says the Authority in the notice.
The DVB-T2 technical specifications and requirements are being reviewed in order to incorporate the technical enhancements that have since been introduced in terrestrial digital television broadcasting space.
It is anticipated that if the upgraded specifications are implemented, television viewers will be able to enjoy new features that have since been made possible through the technological advancements on digital terrestrial platforms. The deadline for submission of comments is 15th January, 2025.
And having developed a Digital Sound Broadcasting (DSB) framework to guide the introduction of digital radio broadcasting services in Kenya, the Authority has developed the corresponding license templates for the DSB infrastructure and services in readiness for the implementation of the DSB licensing framework in the 2025/26 financial year.
The Authority is seeking stakeholder comments on 10 proposed license categories under the DSB framework, with a deadline for submission of input set for 17th January, 2025.
