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The second quarter of 2026 marks a decisive shift across the TMT landscape from high-level policy design to hard regulatory enforcement and structural execution. Across African markets and the wider global tech ecosystem, authorities are aggressively tightening oversight to secure rapidly evolving digital economies; this is visible in Nigeria’s strict new fintech data localisation rules, enhanced cross- sectoral anti-fraud collaborations between the NCC and CBN, and Kenya’s elevated network quality standards. At the same time, traditional intellectual property, gaming, and media frameworks are undergoing critical overhauls to capture digital value and protect consumers, ranging from Nigeria’s newly enacted 5% digital copyright levy and Tanzania's pioneering trade mark classification of AI-as-a- Service to sweeping global adjustments like the European Council's delayed high-risk AI Act timelines. Ultimately, as operators increasingly pivot toward domestic funding to bridge infrastructure deficits, this quarter’s updates underscore that navigating the tech, media, and telecom sectors now demands total alignment with a mature, highly assertive regulatory environment.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
VITEL WIRELESS PARTNERS WITH OPAY AND MONIEPOINT
Vitel Wireless has teamed up with fintech leaders OPay and Moniepoint to simplify airtime and data purchases directly from bank accounts or mobile wallets, targeting improved connectivity in underserved and rural communities. By leveraging the vast customer bases and payment infrastructure of these fintech platforms, alongside existing partnerships with Fidelity and Zenith banks, Vitel is bridging financial services and telecom access. Supported by MTN’s nationwide infrastructure, the initiative enhances convenience, affordability, and financial inclusion, creating an ecosystem that enables millions of Nigerians to participate more efficiently in the digital economy.1
NCC AND CBN SIGN MOU TO COMBAT TELECOMS-LINKED FRAUD AND STRENGTHEN CROSS-SECTOR CONSUMER PROTECTION
In April 2026, the NCC and the CBN signed a Memorandum of Understanding designed to safeguard consumers against fraud while expanding access to the combined opportunities of the telecommunications and financial sectors.2 Coinciding with the signing, both institutions inaugurated two joint committees: the Joint Committee on Payment Systems and Consumer Protection, and the Joint Committee on the Telecoms Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS) Portal. Through the TIRMS Portal, financial institutions will now have enhanced real-time visibility into the status of mobile numbers, enabling them to determine when a line is active, swapped, disconnected, or flagged for fraudulent use, thereby equipping the financial services sector with the timely information required to combat electronic fraud perpetuated through phone numbers. This development represents a decisive deepening of cross-sectoral regulatory collaboration, positioning the NCC and the CBN to respond proactively and in alignment with emerging risks across Nigeria's increasingly interconnected digital and financial ecosystem.
SOUTH AFRICA TABLES ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS AMENDMENT BILL 2026 TO OVERHAUL SPECTRUM, ROAMING, AND WHOLESALE REGULATION
In April 2026, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies of South Africa gazetted the Electronic Communications Amendment Bill 2026, which was formally tabled in the National Assembly on 22nd April 2026.3 The bill introduces three principal reforms to South Africa's electronic communications framework. First, a use it or share it rule on radio frequency spectrum: where spectrum assigned from 10th December 2021 onwards remains unused in any area for two continuous years, ICASA is required to intervene and allow another licensee to share it, directly targeting the country's low 5G adoption rate. Second, a national roaming and mobile virtual network operator access regime: any operator with mobile network coverage of at least 90% of the national population is obliged to provide national roaming and MVNO services on request within 60 days, with ICASA empowered to determine commercial terms where the parties cannot agree. Third, a shift to cost- based wholesale pricing regulation, anchored in the underlying cost of providing the relevant service. Parliamentary hearings remain open for public comment until 21st August 2026. The bill does not, as introduced, address the equity equivalence question for satellite operators; the government has committed to pursue that legislative change separately, making this dual legislative track one of the most consequential developments in South African telecoms regulation this cycle.
NCC OPENS PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON DRAFT BUSINESS RULES FOR MOBILE VIRTUAL NETWORK OPERATOR LICENCES
In May 2026, the NCC, in exercise of its functions under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, published Draft Business Rules on the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Licence in the Nigerian Communications Sector and invited stakeholder submissions ahead of a formal Public Inquiry.4 MVNOs represent a significant avenue for deepening market competition, broadening consumer choice, and enabling new categories of digital and fintech service providers to participate in the telecoms value chain. The publication of the Draft Business Rules marks the first substantive step toward formalising the MVNO licensing framework in Nigeria, and the outcome of the consultation is expected to define the commercial and regulatory conditions under which new entrants may operate.
ICASA PUBLISHES FINAL INNOVATION SPECTRUM REGULATIONS OPENING THE LOWER 6GHZ BAND FOR LICENCE-EXEMPT ACCESS
In May 2026, the ICASA gazetted final regulations for the use of innovation spectrum, resolving a long- running policy dispute over the allocation of the lower 6GHz band.5 Under the new framework, the lower 6GHz band (5.925–6.425GHz) is designated as licence-exempt, allowing wireless internet service providers, Wi-Fi networks, private entities, and community operators to access it on a shared basis without the need for a licence or competitive auction process. Separately, the 3.8–4.2GHz band is opened on a licensed but discounted, non-competitive basis to support the development of standalone 5G services. Access to the licence-exempt band will be managed through a unified spectrum switch. The framework is designed to benefit non-dominant players, SMMEs, and community network operators, with rural operators receiving twice the channel allocation available to urban counterparts and a three-contiguous-cell cap in the 3.8–4.2GHz band preventing monopolisation.
COMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY PROPOSES NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR FIBRE AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS CABLE INFRASTRUCTURE DEPLOYMENT
In May 2026, the Communications Authority of Kenya published a consultation paper introducing comprehensive national standards for the design, installation, labelling, sharing, maintenance, and protection of fibre optic and other telecommunications cable infrastructure across the country.6 The proposed framework requires operators to obtain approvals from multiple agencies before construction commences, alongside the submission of detailed route drawings, infrastructure-sharing capacity data, safety plans, and traffic disruption mitigation measures. Strict technical requirements apply to both aerial and underground installations, covering trench depths, pole spacing, and safety clearances developed in coordination with the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority. Notably, all new building developments will be required to incorporate broadband ducts and internal conduits from the entry point to individual units, in line with the forthcoming Building Code 2025. The initiative addresses long-standing public complaints about poorly installed cable infrastructure and aims to standardise deployment practices, protect critical national infrastructure, and promote open-access sharing among service providers.
KENYA PROPOSES STRICTER QUALITY OF SERVICE STANDARDS AND ENHANCED ENFORCEMENT PENALTIES FOR NETWORK OPERATORS
In May 2026, the Communications Authority of Kenya released draft proposals that would significantly raise the bar for network quality compliance across the country's telecoms sector.7 The proposals would lift the minimum network quality compliance score from 80% to 90%, expand the scope of assessment from 21 to 38 service quality metrics, and replace the current annual performance evaluation cycle with quarterly assessments, supported by county-specific penalties for operators that fall below the new threshold. The reform marks a decisive departure from a regulatory culture of warnings and compliance notices toward active financial and operational enforcement, with direct implications for operators' infrastructure investment priorities and capital allocation strategies across both urban and rural coverage areas.
EAC INTENSIFIES EFFORTS TO REFORM ONE NETWORK AREA ROAMING FRAMEWORK AFTER A DECADE OF UNEVEN IMPLEMENTATION
In May 2026, East African Community (EAC) member states convened a week-long high-level meeting in Dar es Salaam under the EAC's Technical Committee on Telecommunications, aimed at advancing a harmonised Regional Mobile Roaming Framework and addressing the persistent failures that have undermined the One Network Area (ONA) initiative since its establishment in 2014. The EAC Secretariat has found that operators across member states continue to set their own roaming tariffs in defiance of bloc-mandated price caps, creating an uneven competitive environment and discouraging cross-border connectivity. The new framework under development will introduce fair-use policies, safeguards against SIM-boxing fraud, interoperable billing and settlement systems, and provisions for e-SIM and IoT roaming. Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Burundi currently participate in or are actively implementing the ONA, while Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo have indicated intentions to join.
NCC AND CAC MANDATE PRIOR REGULATORY APPROVAL FOR ALL SIGNIFICANT TELECOMS OWNERSHIP TRANSFERS
From 21st June 2026, the NCC and CAC require prior regulatory approval before any significant ownership change in a licensed telecoms company may be completed and registered8. Under the new regime, any transfer of 10% or more of a telecom operator's total issued share capital requires a Letter of No Objection from the NCC before the CAC will register the transaction. The directive draws its legal basis from Section 90 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, the Competition Practices Regulations 2007, and the Licensing Regulations 2019. The stated regulatory rationale centres on competition and ownership transparency, with the directive expressly designed to prevent anti-competitive ownership arrangements and undisclosed changes of control within the sector. This development closes a longstanding regulatory gap and signals a materially more assertive posture from the NCC on governance, investor accountability, and sector integrity.
ICASA CLARIFIES SATELLITE LICENSING REQUIREMENTS
In June 2026, ICASA published a clarification notice setting out the licensing requirements for satellite operators seeking to enter the South African market, following numerous requests from prospective operators for guidance on the approvals required to provide services through satellite constellations.9 The notice confirms that any entity wishing to operate satellite services in South Africa requires three separate approvals: an Individual Electronic Communications Service licence, an Individual Electronic Communications Network Service licence, and one or more Radio Frequency Spectrum licences. The clarification comes against the backdrop of South Africa's status as the most prominent holdout on Starlink's pan-African expansion. While the government has issued a policy direction for ICASA to recognise equity equivalent investment programmes as an alternative compliance route, ICASA has confirmed it cannot give effect to that direction without a legislative amendment to the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act.
GHANA REVIEWS ITS ACCELERATED BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE EXPANSION MANDATES FOR REGIONAL DIGITAL NETWORKS
The National Communications Authority (NCA) of Ghana has amended its digital infrastructure development guidelines to fast-track rural fibre deployments and secure telecom asset classes. The mid-2026 policy framework legally reclassifies fibre optic pathways, base transceiver stations, and submarine cable endpoints as critical state-level infrastructure, making any unauthorised physical interference or digital disruption subject to heavy criminal penalties. The law also establishes a standardised cross-border data transfer framework for telecommunications entities, requiring service providers to clear international routing loops through national security filters while keeping regional communication nodes closely aligned with ECOWAS unified single-market targets.
Footnotes
1 Here
2 https://www.linkedin.com/company/nigerian-communications-commission/posts/?feedView=all
3 https://techcentral.co.za/have-your-say-on-the-bill-that-could-reshape-sa-telecoms/282987/
4 https://www.linkedin.com/company/nigerian-communications-commission/posts/?feedView=all
6 Communications Authority Targets ISPs With New Internet Installation Rules - Kenyans.co.ke
9 ICASA notice sheds light on Starlink’s path into SA | ITWeb
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