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Telecoms watchdog to have presence in five counties [Business Daily (Kenya)](Business Daily (Kenya) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The telecommunication industry regulator is set to establish its first two offices outside Nairobi in Mombasa and Eldoret in August. The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), which has been operating from its headquarters in Nairobi over the past 15 years, says it has already identified office space in the two counties. Francis Wangusi (above), the CA director-general, said that the authority would also establish offices in Kisumu and Nyeri. "One of our key decisions that arose from the 2010 dispensation has been to establish regional offices in order to take services closer to Kenyans," Mr Wangusi told the Business Daily. "We want to ensure that all our licensees adhere to the standards. The county offices will also be used for consumer awareness and receiving complaints from the public, which will enable us to make timely decisions," he said. Mr Wangusi said the CA will be seeking to expand the sector's contribution to the GDP from the current 2.2 per cent to five per cent, and mobile penetration from 75.8 per cent to 90 per cent by 2018. The CA also aims to deepen mobile penetration from the current 75.8 per cent to 90 per cent in 2018, while wireless broadband is expected to go up to 10 per cent within the next five years from the current 2.4 per cent. "We shall continue to expand our reach through all possible platforms so that we can create more harmony and inclusion of players and consumer alike in the ICT regulation," he said. The authority is banking on the Universal Service Fund (USF) to address the ICT services gaps in the unserved and marginalised part of the country. The State started collecting a levy for the USF from telecommunication operators and broadcasters last July. (c) 2014 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |