Business
Somaliland: Telecommunication companies agree on Interconnection
July 20, 2011 · 31 Comments
HARGEISA (SomalilandPress)— Today at a historic signing Somaliland’s telecommunication companies signed an agreement to allow interconnection for their consumers. The agreement will allow consumers to call out of network coverage without having to change SIM card or phone number. In the past each Somaliland’s telecommunication operators offered services to their own customers on their own network with no interconnection to different operator.
The event at the Mansoor Hotel Somaliland’s Vice President Abdirahman Ismail Ali (Saylici) said this is a historic moment for the country, clients will no longer have to carry with them several phones or SIM Cards so that they can communicate with others. The Vice President went on to say today’s five company signings will reduce the frustration that the consumers have had with the country’s telecommunication companies which were seen as not consumer friendly.
With the exception of Telesom, the country’s five other operators Africa Online, Telecom, SomTel, National Link and SolTeco have all agreed to the terms and pricing of interconnection.
SomalilandPress reporter Abdiqani Baynah who was present at the ceremony spoke with several attendees whom all have welcomed the notion of being able to call directly between subscribers on different network carriers.
Source: SomalilandPress
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Tags: Somaliland, Telecommunication
Readers Comments (31)
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good news
Telesom refused to pay taxes & now refused to sign this historic moment for our country they should be send back to Muqdisho where they belong. Arintani waa Guul weyn oo usoo hoyatay baayac mushtarka wadanka iyo shacab weynaha dhamaantii. Allaylehe Xafiisyadii shanta khad (5 different lines) soo xidhan jiray si'ay macaamiishooda kala duwan ula xidhiidhaan way xoroobeen. Well done to Africa Online, Telecom, SomTel, National Link, SolTeco & the Government making this happen.
Back to Muqdisho kkkkkk Nin Walan
Why are you so surprised warya don't you know a Muqdisho man owns 99% of Telesom formerly known as AL-Barakaat and was closed down by the American FBI back in the early 2001?
Correction: Late 2001 – early 2002.
I don't understand why Telesom has refused to pay taxes in our country they should pay more taxes than Somaliland telecommunications if they don't I agree with mr Ali we should sent them back where the came from.
Why does the Somaliland government always act as a toothless charity organisation when they were elected by the nation to be the highest authority on the land? And why is the parliament not working as intended by making legislations so that if a company does not pay tax or conform to their demands for reform the government or the other relevant authorities would just revoke their operating licence and summon them to court? I am sick and tired of this non-sense.
who said Telesom doesn't pay taxes?
Communication companies were over charging their subscribers in the past and they were not paying taxes. They should refund the overcharges to their customers and pay the back taxes too. It is funny thing to know five different lines from five different companies in one office or five different SIM cards.
The next step will be to enable the new country code for Somaliland ( 292) and a new internet domain.
I do not think sending Telesom back to Mogdisho is the solution …let the subscribers judge them….I'm sure they will realise their mistake very soon….We need mass migration to the other networks as soon as possible.
that way we should express our dissatisfaction with Telesom.
I think Telesom never refuse Government tax, but there is somthing against them, they are the most relaible company in Somaliland, the most binificiary company to their people, but there is another compatiting companies that closer to the goverment like somtel so they are going to politicalize their competition.Finally I'm sugesting to the government to nogotiate with telesom and allow them their rights.
nice move,, it is nice to hear that most of the telecom companies let their clients call one another,,,,,,,,,,
@Ali907
Brotha, what logic is that! Telesom hasn't paid taxes and so we should send them over to Xamar to get their hand and feet cut off looool Don't you think that a BIT excessive.
What's next, public lashing for late rental payments lah illah ill lah
don’t you know that Telesom is the real Somalilander instead of others, why dont you to respect and let it to progress.
I think those who posted opions against Telesom are jealous.
I kept saying for a long time that this company Telesom must be taken over by Somalilanders, because 60% belongs to Wanlaweyn. Why we accept our business is dominated by those who kill and maimed our people? Wake up you people and decide your future economy of this country. I am not against those who run the show in Somaliland on behalf of Wanlaweyn, but I want them to take the charge and sell shares to our people.
@Boqoljireh and others
Stop hating on our Somali brothers. Somaliland is a free market economy and should remain that way. Nepotism is what stifles competition and economic growth. Look at what happened to our fibre optic cable. An honest company from the South wanted to bring in the connection to Somaliland through Barbara but was refused permission because of stupid tribalism. The contract finally went to Somcable which belongs to an Isaaq man from Jabuuti who was supposed to complete the installation by 2010 and guess what? The work is yet to start!!
This has long been due.
Hope Telesom comes to its senses and join the club of true telecommunications.
The telephone industry is a major business in Somaliland, second only to money transfers. Aside from enabling the new country code for Somaliland (292) and a new domain, you must realize that with this agreement will lead to some companies merging and others who cannot compete, go out of business. Even with a wide range of choices for the consumers, only the strong will survive. Telesom probably understands this, and that is why they didn't join this arrangement. It is not a question of being anti-Somaliland or not paying taxes (which frankly a lot of large Somaliland companies fail do, sighting a lack tax codes, government auditor, etc), it is just strictly business.
Abraham or whatever you call yourself. We are Somalilanders and Somaliland belongs to us only. If you like Wanlaweyn just go and settle Mogadishu.
We don't belong to them and they are not our brothers. Have you watch Horn Cable two days back regarding Jazzera masacre? If not watch it and then talk about brotherhood. Silly people like you should not come with this false brotherhood.
I don't know how anyone can defend Telesom by refusing to sign this Interconnection agreement. Tell me where in the world do you have to have 5 or 6 different Telephone lines in order to make a call to your next door neighbours or the Xawaala Office? The answer is no where in the world.
Day in and day out we are suffering something that happened,Telesom had left one century before,we than must say geela gaalu fulay gaadhi maayee ha ka daba fulo.
it is time to send Telesom out of the market, if not joined club soon, dear citizens plz let move to other obeying networks.
i have to say this agreement is good for the people telesom is the biggiest telecomunication company so they dont want to loose customers easily thats why they do'nt want to sign this agreement,
first of all these companies didn,t did this for their customers but they are doing this for their own interest and i hear that telsom refuse this becouse every company want the same share for the interconnection income which is not faire becouse telsom has the biggest number of customers then these companies markaa halkaa ayaa la isku diiday but hadii taasi jirin oo telsom iska diiday oo aanay competation ka rabin the goverment should do something about them, and somtel is owned but they goverment ee runta dadka ha u sheegaan.
Nonsense
Read the law.
http://www.somalilandlaw.com/Somaliland_Telecommu…
http://www.somalilandlaw.com/communications_laws….
For your info Telesom is breaking that law now….
Telesom are thieves who will not pay the correct taxes they must pay.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pa0TVz0gBc&fe…
And because they (Telesom) do not comply with the new law, we can not get a new country code or an Internet domain.
This an interview with the former Minister of Telecommunications where he explains in detail how much it means to us that operators are connected together.
http://www.ramaasnews.com/news.php?readmore=5840
I have only one thing to say to you, and it is that you should call your family in Somaliland and tell them that they should boycott Telesom.
They should be evaluated how they conduct either businesses, they could be dealing with our enemies such as Putland & Alshabaab whom want to make sure our country & our people must suffer. join cooperation and security procedures mus be implemented. Many thanks to Army, Police & those whom lost either blood to defended our country.
May good help us, Ramadaan karrim dhamaan dadkeegow