Amendment to LTE/IMT Frequency Band Operation and Compliance Requirements in Mauritius

On August 6, 2026, the Information & Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) of Mauritius published an amendment to its previous decision regarding the opening of the 2 500 – 2 690 MHz and 3 400 – 3 600

Under the new provisions, LTE networks must continue to comply with LTE and LTE-Advanced standards as published by ETSI, particularly EN 301908-1, EN 301908-13, EN 301908-14, and EN 301908-11. Emtel Ltd is now required to shift its existing LTE/LTE-Advanced network operations to the 2 600 – 2 640 MHz band.

A significant change is the removal of the previous obligation for Emtel Ltd to surrender 40 MHz of spectrum upon any future switch-off of its LTE/LTE-Advanced network. This provides greater operational certainty for network operators and clarifies the ongoing compliance requirements.

The amendment aligns Mauritius’ regulatory framework with international best practices, ensuring continued service quality and interoperability for LTE and 5G networks. The changes are now in force and directly impact mobile network operators, equipment manufacturers, and other stakeholders involved in wireless broadband services.

This amendment is assessed as Medium Impact.

Key reasons for medium impact:

• The measure is final and directly affects the operational frequency band for LTE/LTE-Advanced networks, specifically requiring Emtel Ltd to shift to a new sub-band.
• The removal of the spectrum surrender obligation reduces regulatory burden but does not broadly affect all market participants.
• Compliance with specific ETSI standards is reinforced, impacting technical conformity for network equipment.

Who is affected?

Mobile network operators (notably Emtel Ltd), telecom equipment manufacturers, and stakeholders involved in LTE/5G deployment and spectrum management.

Conclusion:

The amendment introduces targeted but significant operational and compliance changes for LTE networks in Mauritius, with moderate impact on the affected sector.