ICT players get more time to study rules

By Lucianne Limo

Information and communication technology (ICT) sector players have one more month to analyse new regulations awaiting implementation.

Communications Permanet Secretary Bitange Ndemo postponed Thursday’s stakeholders meeting until November 19 to pave way for further consultations.

"We want to give broadcasters and operators more time to peruse and analyse the document," Ndemo said yesterday.

The PS said it was necessary to give stakeholders more time to consult saying the Government’s role is to support the private sector and not to curtail its activities.

He said his ministry wants to ensure the regulations are in place by January next year.

The Ministry of Information and Communications has been in consultation with Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) to develop new regulations to govern the sector.

Broadcasters are, however up in arms over a regulation that seeks to take back frequencies and vet programmes. The PS assured players that the Government intends to come up with the agreeable and best practices to govern the sector.

"Some operators have found some of the proposals in the ICT Bill harsh and hence we want to give them time to discuss and find a common ground," he added.

Best practises

The new rules seek to force broadcasters — except those owned by the government — who have more than one frequency for radio and television to surrender them.

The 14 sets of regulations touch on various aspects of the sector, including broadcasting, e-transaction, compliance monitoring and enforcement, postal services, fair competition and universal access.

Others areas are consumer protection, numbering, type approval, licensing and tariffs are other areas covered by the new regulations.

The Ministry of Information had invited the industry and other interested parties to study the regulations and submit comments to CCK by October 16.