SOURCE.: CCK's revamped
website:. http://www.cck.go.ke/html/news.asp?newsid=132&area=new
CCK issues guidelines on
provision of VOIP services
The Commission has issued guidelines on the
provision of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
services in
Releasing the guidelines today, CCK
Director-General Eng. John Waweru said the guidelines had incorporated
stakeholder views gathered during a two-month public consultation process
carried out early this year. The
Commission also carried out an international benchmark on the situation
obtaining in selected countries and in different parts of the world.
The Director-General said the guidelines would
be published in the Kenya Gazette on 12th of this month in keeping with
statutory requirements to provide a 60-day period within which stakeholders and
the public could make representations to the Commission on the guidelines.
The new guidelines allow:
· Registered telecentres and cyber cafes connected to
licensed ISPs to commercially provide VoIP services
to end-users. ISPs shall on
quarterly basis file returns to the Commission, indicating the details of
connected cyber cafes and telecentres, in terms of bandwidth provided,
utilization and connected number of terminals.
· Corporate organizations and other closed user groups to
utilize VoIP for interconnectivity between branch
offices using telecommunication networks of licensed operators, without seeking
a separate licence from the Commission.
However, VoIP users in this category shall be
required to type approve their equipment and install call logging capabilities
within their equipment. Corporate
organizations using this service are prohibited from providing the same to
third parties.
· Licensed national operators to use Internet Protocol
(IP) or managed VoIP backbones or networks in place
of the existing Public Switched Telecommunications Network (PSTN). For interconnection to the IP network,
the user’s terminal equipment will be normally connected via a VoIP gateway.
This type of VoIP shall require no further
licensing and can be deployed by licensed national operators. The existing
requirements contained in the licences of these
operators shall remain applicable.
· Licensed network operators to facilitate the provision
of voice services over the public internet utilizing publicly available
infrastructure including dial up and leased lines or access networks. Network
operators shall be required to submit details and specifications of the
proposed gateway to the Commission for approval. Exchange of voice traffic between
operators shall be governed by the existing regulations of interconnection, and
the existing licence conditions including quality of service requirements
contained in the respective licences of these
operators shall remain applicable.
Eng. Waweru said network operators and service
providers who may wish to provide VoIP services will
be required to meet certain obligations such as provision of emergency
services, universal service, quality of service requirements, and billing
accuracy.
They will also be required to subscribe to the
national numbering plan as prescribed by the Commission, and to avoid engaging
in anti-competitive and unfair trading practices that may distort a level
playing field.
The Director-General said the guidelines were
in line with the draft ICT policy, and were geared towards further
liberalization of the ICT sector.
He said the expiry of Telkom
Click here to view the Director-General’s
full press statement
Click here to view the guidelines on provision
of VoIP services.
Click here to view the published comments on
the consultative process