Mozambique's Review of Telecommunications Licensing and Scarce Resources

The Public Consultation seeks to update the legal framework governing the licensing of networks, telecommunications services, and the use of scarce resources such as numbering and radio spectrum.

This revision is based on Law No. 4/2016, which defines the bases for the establishment and operation of telecommunications networks and services, and Decree No. 26/2017, now considered outdated in the face of technological and market changes.

The main objectives of the reform are to incorporate a legal framework for the leasing and sharing of radio spectrum, improve the regulation of broadcasting and satellite radio communications licensing, create a new sanctioning regime that allows fines to be converted into universalization obligations, and establish a 15-day deadline for issuing licenses, in addition to a 90-day transitional period for regularizing satellite operators.

WHOM DOES IT IMPACT?

The direct impact is on telecommunications and broadcasting operators, satellite and technological infrastructure providers, consumers, and end users.

CONCLUSION:

The regulation constitutes a key structural reform for the telecommunications sector in Mozambique. It promotes technological modernization, regulated competition, and the sustainability of universal access, balancing private investment with the public interest.