09 December 2022

Subscribers of different telecom operators in Somalia will be able to communicate with each other seamlessly from10 January 2023.

The National Communications Authority (NCA) and the telecom companies signed an interconnection agreement to this effect on 5 December. The interconnection process is expected to be completed by February 2023.

The interconnection agreement is the result of a series of discussions and consultations between the parties concerned, which have settled all the fundamental questions necessary, including the question of the mobile termination rate (MTR). The regulator has developed all necessary technical regulations and guidelines to help operators implement interconnection in a fair manner, while protecting consumer interests.

The signing of this agreement is part of "the government's commitment to improving telecommunications and creating an enabling environment for telecoms to operate in a legal atmosphere where they can all prosper,” according to Jama Hassan Khalif, minister of communications and technology.

"Apart from the fact that the interconnection agreement is a requirement and a right for the customer, it is also an important benchmark for the growth of the telecommunications market and investment in technology and innovation, and I hopes that this agreement will put an end to the discussions that have been going on since the establishment of the telecommunications companies in the country,” said Mustafa Yasin Sheikh, director general of the NCA.