The telecoms regulator says only Treasury can make the decision on reviewing spectrum fees. [File, Standard] Safaricom has clashed with the industry regulator over a proposed law touching on the distribution of frequencies.
This follows the release of the Frequency Spectrum Management Guidelines 2020 by the regulator to guide the State’s distribution of the resource.
Some of the proposals by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) include the setting aside spectrum for use by the national and county governments and enhanced penalties for its interference and underutilisation by service providers.
Of particular concern by Safaricom and other service providers is the proposal to have some operators exempted from paying billions of shillings in spectrum fees. Read More
“Licensees will be required to pay requisite frequency fees prescribed by the Authority as and when they fall due,” states the proposal in part.
“Failure to which will result in penalties or other actions as stipulated in the authorisation instrument (the license), the Act and the regulations. However, this will not be applicable to licensees who have been exempted from payment of frequency fees.”
In a rejoinder, Safaricom has rejected the proposal , arguing that all service providers be treated equally and pay uniform spectrum fees. “In the spirit of fair treatment, all licensees should be treated equally in so far as payment of license fees is concerned,” said the telco in its submissions to the regulations.
“The authority should reinforce this guideline to seal off any loopholes relied upon in the past by some licensees to evade paying the fees.”
Spectrum fees are the monies paid out by licensees to occupy specific radio frequencies on which they channel their services.
In the 2018/2019 financial year, Sh7.6 billion out of the authority’s Sh8.9 billion total revenues came from licence fees from service providers. The CA has come under the spotlight over its administration of spectrum fees. This has been at the heart of bitter boardroom wrangles.
In 2015, two years before Airtel Kenya’s frequency licence was due to expire, CA issued the mobile telephone operator with a Sh2.3 billion demand letter as a condition for a new 10-year lease.Airtel protested the fees, arguing that the 2014 acquisition of Essar’s YU Mobile extended the telco’s operating license to 2024, which the regulator had corroborated in a letter granted during the acquisition.Treasury opposed the waiver, demanding collection of the Sh2.3 billion since CA did not have powers to grant a licence waiver of […]