Kenya Moves to Fine Telecom Operators for Poor Network Service
Kenya’s telecommunications regulator is preparing tougher measures against mobile operators, including potential compensation for subscribers affected by dropped calls and poor network performance.
The move signals a major shift in regulatory oversight as authorities seek to improve service quality across the country’s telecom industry.
Communications Authority Proposes Tougher Quality Standards
The Communications Authority of Kenya has proposed increasing the minimum quality performance threshold for telecom operators from 80% to 90%.
Under the proposed rules, operators that fail to meet the new benchmark could face:
- Financial penalties
- Regulatory sanctions
- Mandatory customer compensation
- Increased monitoring requirements
- County-level enforcement actions
The regulator also plans to assess performance at county level rather than relying solely on national averages.
Major Telecom Companies Could Face Penalties
If the proposed rules had already been implemented, Kenya’s largest telecom providers would have struggled to comply based on the latest Quality of Service assessment.
Latest Telecom Quality Scores in Kenya
| Telecom Operator | Quality Score | Proposed Target |
|---|---|---|
| Safaricom | 89.72% | 90% |
| Airtel Kenya | 81.14% | 90% |
| Telkom Kenya | 52.76% | 90% |
The county-based assessment system means operators may face penalties even if they meet national targets but perform poorly in specific regions.
Kenya Revives Push for Customer Compensation
The latest proposals revive previous attempts to force telecom operators to compensate customers for service failures.
In 2022, lawmakers proposed legislation that would have required telecom companies to compensate subscribers with up to KSh30 worth of airtime for dropped calls, capped at three incidents per day. However, the bill failed to become law.
The renewed effort reflects growing dependence on mobile services for:
- Mobile banking
- Digital payments
- Online education
- Remote work
- Video streaming
- E-commerce activities
Telecom Operators Face Increased Infrastructure Costs
Industry operators have repeatedly argued that delivering reliable nationwide coverage remains expensive due to several challenges, including:
- Rising fuel costs
- Infrastructure vandalism
- Frequent power outages
- High maintenance expenses
- Low returns in rural communities
