The Communications Authority of Kenya has issued a public notice inviting industry stakeholders, service providers, and members of the public to a virtual validation forum to finalize the new technical and operational guidelines for commercial internet telephony services. The regulator developed the draft regulatory framework to establish updated operational standards for deploying Voice over Internet Protocol services across the country. Following an initial public consultation process, the Authority reviewed submitted representations and published its corresponding regulatory positions on its official web portal.
The upcoming stakeholder validation exercise is scheduled for 30 September 2026 at 10:00 AM via an online Webex platform. The new framework will replace older regulations dating back to 2005, introducing updated quality of service benchmarks tailored to modern 4G and 5G telecommunication networks. Under the proposed rules, mobile operators providing internet-based voice services will be required to implement an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem, maintain a 99 per cent Call Setup Success Rate on 4G, and ensure Voice over New Radio call drop rates on 5G remain under two per cent.
The Communications Authority oversees telecommunications, broadcasting, cyber security, e-commerce, and postal services while managing spectrum allocation and administering the Universal Service Fund. Signed by the Director General, the notice outlines the regulator’s mandate to foster market competition and safeguard consumer interests through responsive sector policies. Industry compliance with the final internet telephony guidelines will be factored into overall operator performance scoring, with regulatory penalties applicable for non-compliance.
