A consultation on proposed fees for communications licences and annual usage fees for radio spectrum has been launched by the Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA). Having published its proposed ‘Communications Services and Licence Fee Directive,’ the regulator has called for comments from stakeholders by a deadline of 15 June 2023. Among the notable proposals, with regards to spectrum usage the ECA has proposed annual fees ranging between USD3,935 per MHz per year for spectrum in the 3500MHz band and USD84,396 per MHz per year for 800MHz frequencies.
Meanwhile, with regards to communications service licence fees, proposed charges include: USD100,000 per year plus 1% of gross annual revenue in local currency for a ten-year ‘Internet Service Provider Licence’; USD5,000 per year plus 0.5% of annual gross revenue for a ‘Virtual Internet Service (VISP) Licence’; and USD1,500 per year plus 0.5% of annual gross revenue for a ‘Telecommunications Value Added Service Licence’.