Local access and community networking
This introduction to developing a policy on open spectrum by spectrum expert Evan Light for APC, breaks down what spectrum is, how it works and why governments with under-served communities stand to gain so much from opening up the spectrum to more users and uses.
Nigeria is arguably one of the leading countries in Africa with respect to spectrum deregulation and licensing. However while the country follows best practices on the telecommunications side, the process for allocating broadcasting licenses and frequencies lacks transparency and is still dependant on Presidential approval. As the two regulatory bodies prepare to merge to form a single entity, Nigeria to reconsider how it allocates broadcasting licenses, says Fola Odufuwa, ICT expert and auth...
This policy brief by Evan Light provides a brief history of how spectrum use has developed over the past 80 years, examines how it is currently being managed and what the current issues surrounding spectrum are, and makes a case for open spectrum.
Currently, about 20 million Kenyans own mobile phones. Mobile phones receive their signals over electromagnetic waves that are also used for everything from home appliances like microwave ovens and remote controls, to the radio and internet. These waves are assigned different frequencies or spectrum so that they don’t interfere with each other. However Kenya is at risk of running out of spect...
With hundreds of telecommunications and broadcasting licenses granted since 1992, Nigeria is arguably the leading country in Africa with respect to spectrum deregulation and licensing. There are over currently 350 licensed broadcast stations in operation in the country. With the global trend that will see two regulatory bodies merge, this report questions which regulatory body’s practice of a...
APC’s open spectrum initiative aims to provide an understanding of spectrum regulation by examining the situation in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The timely research coincides with the rapid growth of wireless and mobile in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and raises fresh questions about the use of spectrum and the policies that govern it. The research looks at how spectrum is assigned, wh...
Every thirty months the amount of information that can be transmitted over a wireless internet connection has the potential to double. Wireless could be the way to provide affordable broadband to millions of people currently living with poor connectivity. However the policy and regulation related to spectrum is often inefficient, secretive and ill-informed. APC’s new research will examine how...
Wireless technology could radically transform the lives of millions of people living with poor connectivity — but only if the policy makes sense. Our research critiques the situation in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
At the regulatory layer, Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) is a key actor with a legal mandate on spectrum management in Kenya. Kenya Communications Act 1998, Kenya Communications Act 2010, and subsequent subsidiary legislation as promulgated by the Minister define the CCK’s mandate. Appeals Tribunal arbitrates any disputes arising from implementation of the enabling legislation.
In order to reduce poverty and foster inclusive development through affordable access to the internet, APC developed a resource kit for realising a universal access agenda, present promising options, experiences, lessons and opportunities in pro-poor access provision in developing societies.
Association for Progressive Communications (APC) 2022
Unless otherwise stated, content on the APC website is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)