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<p class=MsoNormal style='background:#0070C0'><b><span style='font-size:
26.0pt;color:white'> PRESS RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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</span><![endif]><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black;text-transform:uppercase'><img width=97 height=126 id="_x0000_i1025"
src="cid:image002.jpg@01CD0361.B1E09950"></span><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";text-transform:uppercase'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
text-transform:uppercase'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
text-transform:uppercase'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>16<sup>th</sup>
March 2012<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Listers,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<div style='border:none;border-bottom:double windowtext 4.5pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in'>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>CCK’s
response to agitation for surrender of broadcasting frequencies <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
115%'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The attention of the
Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) has been drawn to media reports attributed
to one of the mobile operators in the country calling for the surrender of
assigned broadcasting frequencies on the 700MHz band to mobile operators and
other service providers for use in the deployment of 4G services (i.e.
superfast mobile broadband/Internet services). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
115%'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The CCK wishes to
respond to the agitation as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>1.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span></b><![endif]><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The
spectrum in question <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"'>The spectrum/frequencies in question here (i.e.
700MHz band) will only become available for re-assignment for use in deployment
of non-broadcasting services after the successful migration from analogue to
digital TV broadcasting. According to an international agreement reached at the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2006, member countries party to
the agreement (including states in Africa, Europe, Russia and the Middle East)
set 17<sup>th</sup> June 2015 as the global deadline for the switch-off of
analogue TV broadcasting. The ITU is a specialized UN agency in the field of
ICTs to which Kenya is affiliated. As a member of the ITU, Kenya is bound by
the provisions of this agreement. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>2.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span></b><![endif]><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Transition
to digital TV broadcasting <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"'>To prepare the country for smooth and timely
transition to digital TV broadcasting, the Government of Kenya constituted the
Digital Television Committee (DTC) to oversee the migration process. The DTC
recommended an early transition deadline of 2012 to enable the country to have
the flexibility and time to address any difficulties that may arise before the
multi-laterally agreed deadline of 2015. The demand for broadcasters to
surrender frequencies in the 700 MHz band immediately to mobile operators,
therefore, cannot be justified at this point. In any case, even the 2012
national deadline for migration to the digital TV broadcasting is not cast in
stone. As has happened in other countries, the deadline could be postponed if
there are challenges in achieving it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>3.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span></b><![endif]><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Impracticable
and ill-timed proposition<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"'>Surrender of frequencies in the 700MHz band
currently in use for broadcasting services would be ill-timed and impracticable.
This is because the transition to digital broadcasting is being implemented in
the same frequency band that is used for analogue TV broadcasting. The digital
signal is at the moment only available in Nairobi, which means that the rest of
the country is still dependent on analogue TV transmissions. Thus the existing
analogue TV broadcasters cannot switch off their services without disconnecting
a sizeable proportion of consumers. This explains why the country is on a
simulcast period where both digital and analogue TV signals are on air. The
switch-off of the analogue TV signals will only be done when the Government is
satisfied that digital signal coverage is available nationwide. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>4.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span></b><![endif]><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Statutory
mandate over frequency spectrum management<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"'>The responsibility of managing frequency spectrum in
Kenya is vested in CCK by law (that is by the <i>Kenya Information and
Communications Act, CAP 411A</i>). In addition, CCK is the designated
Government representative to the ITU, where international treaties/agreements and
international regulations on frequency spectrum management and other ICT issues
are made. Therefore only the CCK has the statutory mandate to assign spectrum
(to broadcasters, mobile operators and other assignees) and to recall
frequencies, where necessary, in line with the provisions of international
agreements and regulations as well as national law. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>5.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>
</span></span></span></b><![endif]><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Orderly
planning of freed up spectrum<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"'>Owing to the vast investments in the existing
analogue infrastructure for TV broadcasting, the migration to digital TV
broadcasting shall be done in an orderly way and freed up spectrum shall be
surrendered to CCK for re-planning and re-assignment. The re-planning exercise
shall involve deciding on the modalities of re-assignment, including use of
market-based allocation methodologies such as spectrum auction. Re-assignment
shall take due consideration of the various competing radio-communication
services that require access to this vital spectrum. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"'>In view of the foregoing, it is premature to agitate
for re-allocation of spectrum that is not even available in the first place. In
any case, the World Radiocommunications Conference 2012 held in Geneva,
Switzerland, early this year resolved that the implementation date for
assignment of spectrum in the frequency band 694-790MHz to mobile services
would be 2015, subject to results of studies conducted between now and then on
the feasibility of implementing mobile services in part or in the entire
694-790MHz frequency range. Spectrum on this band is currently allocated to broadcasting
services. Thus, it is the said studies that will effectively determine the
amount of digital dividends (or freed up spectrum) that will emerge from the
694-790MHz frequency range for use in deployment of non-broadcasting services
(including superfast mobile broadband/internet and other services). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"'>As a public body, CCK remains open to receive
representations and comments on any regulatory issue touching on the ICT
sector. Such representations should, however, be done within the framework of
the law, without causing public confusion and exerting unwarranted pressure on
the duly licensed players in the broadcasting industry. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoListParagraph style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-family:
"Times New Roman","serif"'>Issued by<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b>Francis W. Wangusi</b><b><span
style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><u>Ag. Director-General <o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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