Somalia Telecommunications
Somalia Communications which includes Telecommunications,
internet, radio, print, television and postal services are mostly
run by private local Somali entrepreneurs (The Government operates
one radio and one TV station with the help of foreign expertise
i.e. Chinese, Korean, European and Latin American telecommunication
Engineers. The telecommunications firms offer Somalis affordable
mobile phones and internet services that may not be available in
some parts of the African continent.
There is no restriction in applying for a SIM card from any one of
the mobile providers in Somalia. However limitations come with the
selection of the type of the services the client prescribes. There
are post-paid and pre-paid services. A pre-paid application is not
difficult to obtain unlike post-paid.
After President Said Barre’s Government was ousted from power in
1990 many new telecommunication firms began to arrive. They began
to grab the opportunity of the missing infrastructure by providing
the much needed services. The country now offers technologically
advanced telecommunications services at competitive prices. The
above telecommunication companies also provide services to every
city, town and hamlet in Somalia. There are presently around 30
mainlines per 1,000 persons, and the local availability of
telephone lines (Tele-density) is higher than in neighboring
countries.
A French company called Dalcom is currently engaged in providing connectivity through the fiber-optic cables, which has now reached Mogadishu. The company has now registered around 15 clients and will very soon start providing internet connectivity to the southern parts of the country.
Mail Services
The postal service of Somalia has been un-functional for a long
time now. Somalia National Posts are under the Ministry of
Information, Post and Telecommunication of the Federal Government
of Somalia. Recently the Somali Federal Government announced its
intention to revive the Somali Postal Service. In mid-2013 the
minister of information posts and Telecommunication signed an
agreement with the United Arab Emirates Posts to process mail to
and from Somalia. Emirates Post's mail transit hub at Dubai
International Airport was then used to forward mail from Somalia to
various destinations.
Additionally, DHL and Australian Post are private companies that
operate in Mogadishu. DHL provides postal services; Australian Post
mostly provides sea mail parcel delivery services to Somalia
destinations.
|
Company name |
Telephone |
Internet provider |
|---|---|---|
|
Hormuud |
Yes |
Yes (3G) |
|
Telesom |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Nationalink |
Yes |
Yes (GPR) |
|
Global |
No |
Yes |
|
Somaliwireless |
No |
Yes (Wi-Fi) |
|
Somaphone |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Telephone Services |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Is there an existing landline telephone network? (Yes / No) |
Yes |
|
|
Does it allow international calls? (Yes / No) |
Yes |
|
|
On average, number and length of downtime periods |
n/a | |
|
Mobile phone providers (List) |
Hormud,, Telesom, Nationlink, Samfone, | |
|
Estimated availability and coverage (Approximate percentage of national coverage) |
80% | |
Telecommunication Regulation
On March 22, 2012, the Somali Cabinet unanimously approved the National Communications Act, which paves the way for the establishment of a National Communications regulator in the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors. The bill was passed following consultations between government representatives and communications, academic and civil society stakeholders. According to the Ministry of Information, Post and Telecommunications, the Act is expected to offer a favorable environment for much needed foreign investment that will also support infrastructure development.
|
Regulations |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Regulations on usage or import of: |
Yes / No |
Regulating Authority |
|
Satellite |
Yes |
n/a |
|
HF Radio |
Yes |
n/a |
|
UHF/VHF/HF radio: handheld, base and mobile |
Yes |
n/a |
|
UHF/VHF repeaters |
Yes |
n/a |
|
GPS |
Yes |
n/a |
|
VSAT |
Yes |
n/a |
| Individual Network Operator Licenses Required | ||
| n/a | ||
| Frequency Licenses Required | ||
| License is obtained from the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication | ||
Existing Humanitarian Telecoms Systems
The Humanitarian community mostly depends on the existing
private companies for mobile telephones while at the same time
augmenting with their official communications systems particularly
VHF, HF radios and V-Sats in order to have a high speed
self-sufficient connectivity including internet.
The main humanitarian organizations that have these types of
telecommunications are, UNDP, WFP, UNICEF, WHO, UNISCO, FAO and
UNSOA.
For information on Somalia Radio networks, please see the following document:
