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• Evolution of Regulatory Practices in the
  Liberian Telecommunications Sector

Accra, Ghana 4th-8th , July 2005 Senior Posts
Telecommunications Specialist
Ministry of Posts Telecommunications
Republic of Liberia Nathaniel D. Payne
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• CONTENT
• Introduction
• Liberia geographic situation
• Present status of Liberia Telecommunication
  Corporation
  
• The legal evolution of the Liberia
  Telecommunciation Corporation
  
• The role of the Ministry of Posts and
  Telecommunications in the Telecommunication
  Industry
  
• Proposed Framework for the Liberia
  Telecommunciation Corporation
  
• Consumer protection
• Economic aspects
• Technical aspects
• Interconnection of Mobile Telephone Company GSM
• Conclusion

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Introduction

• The objective of this presentation is to give
  you an overall view of the evolution of
  
• the Liberia Telecommunication Corporation
• b) the Telecommunication Regulatory Practices in
  the Telecommunication sector of Liberia as it
  relates to
  
• The legal framework
• The Economic and
• The technical aspects of regulations (covering
  Licensing - Frequency management -Numbering and
  Interconnection of GSM operators).

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However, before discussing these topics, please
permit me to briefly give you some information
about my country Liberia and the present status
of the Liberia Telecommunication Corporation.
1. Liberia geographic situation Liberia is si
tuated on the coast of Africa with boarder on
north by Guinea, on the east by la Côte dIvoire,
on the west by Sierra Leone and on the south by
Atlantic Ocean. She has a population of 3.4
million inhabitants.

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• 2. Present status of Liberia
• Telecommunication Corporation

The Liberia Telecommunication which is
responsible to provide telecommunication services
did not escape the destructions that the entire
country experiences during the wake of the 14
years war. As the civil dragged on, the cor
poration equipment and facilities both in the
urban and the rural looted destroyed. Besides the
destruction of the corporation properties, the
lose of lives, of trained personal were
experienced while some fled the country for
safely. Presently the corporation is unabl
e to provide telecommunication services in the
rural and some in the urban areas.
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• 3. The legal evolution of the Liberia
  Telecommunication Corporation

The Liberia Telecommunication begun as far
in the fifties (50) under the ten Department of
Posts Telegraphs, Telex and Telephone with a
mission statement to provide telephone, telex and
telegraph services. As the importance of
these services increased in 1961, the National
Legislative past an Act creating Public Utility
Authority and four public utility activities
were placed under the act.
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• 3. The legal evolution of the
  Liberia
  
• Telecommunication
  Corporation (cont. end)
  
• These four activities were
• Liberia Telephone Exchange
• Liberia Broadcasting System
• Liberia Water and Sewer Service
• Liberia Electricity Authority
• In 1976 another legislative Act was enacted to
  create Liberia Telecommunication Corporation and
  placing it an Independent Board of Directors and
  created a position of managing director to manage
  the day to-day activities of the corporation.

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• 4. The role of the Ministry of Posts and
  Telecommunications
  
• in the Telecommunication Industry

The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications
serves as the regulatory and formation of Policy
for the Liberia Telecommunication Corporation.
It assigns and authorizes the use of frequenc
ies to telecommunication users.
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• 5. Proposed framework for the
• Liberia Telecommunication Corporation.

• The government of Liberia through the
  Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications with the
  assistance of the World Bank is presently
  reviewing several proposals to reform the
  corporation.
• A two days workshops were held last week for
  this connection.
  
• The workshop was geared towards the
  reformation of telecommunication sector of
  Liberia to
  
• implement best international practices in the
  
  
• telecommunication industry
• improve the quality of services and
• provide guidance for regulation authority and
  alike.
  

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• 6. Consumer protection

Although plans are on the way to establish an
independent Regulatory Commission properly to
handle consumer protection, this task is
presently being handled by the Ministry who also
determines the tariff.
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• 7. Economic aspects

While it is true that the Ministry serves as the
regulatory and issues licenses but the payment of
these fees are paid to the central bank of
Liberia through the Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry and Corporation are funded from the
ir respective budgets.
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• 8. Technical aspects

• Licensing
• Management of Frequency
• The numbering of Frequency
• The Licensing, management of Frequency and
  numbering are all done in the Ministry of Posts
  and Telecommunications through the bureau of
  Telecommunication within the Ministry.
• This Bureau is headed by a Deputy Minister for
  Telecommunication who is assisted by an Assistant
  Minister along with support staff.

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• 9. Interconnection of Mobile Telephone
• Company GSM

The Interconnection of the four Mobil phone
companies presently in the country, the Ministry
has not been successful for all of them to conne
ct one another , only three of them are connected
with all.
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• Conclusion

In conclusion the government of Liberia through
the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications
is working very hard to improve its
telecommunication industry.
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• I Thank You
• Nathaniel D. Payne
• Senior Posts Telecommunications Specialist
• Ministry of Posts Telecommunications
• Republic of Liberia
• Tel [phone]
• Email ndpayne2003_at_yahoo.com

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ECOWAS countries