Somalia’s NCA and IFC Introduce Rules to Enhance Telecom Competition and Optimize Submarine Cable Landings

Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s National Communications Authority (NCA) has teamed up with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to roll out fresh regulations aimed at enhancing submarine cable landings and ramping up competition in the telecom industry.

Gathering for a two-day powwow in Nairobi, Kenya, the NCA and IFC sat down with telecom operators, industry gurus, and government bigwigs to sketch out a new rulebook. Their mission: to lay the groundwork for Somalia’s digital future. These new regulations will dive into submarine cable landing licenses, tackle environmental concerns, support infrastructure sharing, and spark competition among telecom firms. The ambition? To bring Somalia’s telecom standards up to snuff with global benchmarks while backing its economic growth dreams.

In his speech, NCA Director General Mustafa Yasin Sheikh underscored the importance of teamwork between private players and regulators to boost Somalia’s internet and communication landscape. Sheikh suggested that by fostering a competitive scene, Somalia’s telecom industry can offer better services to folks and help fuel the nation’s economic bounce-back.

Somalia’s Ambassador to Kenya, Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle, opened the shindig by giving kudos to the private sector, highlighting its vital part in hauling Somalia out of decades of turmoil. He noted that tech and economic strides are the engines driving the nation’s comeback.

The workshop is a crucial puzzle piece in the NCA’s grand scheme to supercharge Somalia’s telecom network. The roadmap? To make Somalia a digital trailblazer in its neck of the woods. With IFC in its corner, Somalia is gunning for a telecom market that’s not only cut-throat but also a hotbed of innovation, job creation, and economic vigor.