Liberian regulator addresses short code allocation issues

The acting board of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) has signed two important executive orders that it says are intended to empower many Liberian citizens, including entrepreneurs, and will increase the quality of services and government revenues.

The first is the Numbering Regulation, which establishes a framework to enable the efficient allocation, assignment, use and management of all telecommunications numbers, including short codes, throughout the country in a fair and non-discriminatory manner.

The problem, according to Chairman Abdullah L. Kamara, is that all the short codes were assigned through mobile network operators, who had full control over who they assigned the numbers to and how much they charged for them, without any regulation.

The Numbering Regulation provides that the LTA will independently allocate, issue and manage the delegation of all short codes, ensuring equal access to all applicants on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to basic requirements.

The regulation defines specific categories and fees for short codes of three to six digits, with provisions for free, premium and other specially assigned numbers. There will be no exclusive, perpetual rights to numbers.

Another regulation, the VAS Regulation, sets out criteria for fair market access based on costs for short code companies to reach their customers via MNOs. Given that MNOs have networks and short code companies do not, the VAS Regulation mandates that MNOs provide this access to their customer base.

Other issues related to the management of numbering resources and the setting of fees for numbering authorization are also discussed.

The LTA has certainly been busy of late. As we reported in July, it introduced a new set of regulations aimed at empowering fintech firms and fostering a more competitive mobile market.