Mobile phone operators will for the first time face financial penalties and business sanctions for dropped calls and poor internet connection, putting pressure on telecoms firms to upgrade networks.
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has proposed new rules that mark a shift from the regulator’s previous approach of issuing warnings and compliance notices for operators in breach.
In draft proposals, the CA is also seeking to raise the minimum performance score for telcos to 90 percent from the current 80 percent, while introducing quarterly penalties for non-compliance.
The new compliance standards look set to trigger fresh investments for a sector that has splashed billions of shillings in network upgrades, notably on 4G and 5G.
The CA evaluates mobile operators on parameters like dropped calls, delayed calls, internet browsing speeds, failed messages, and interruptions during use.
“A licensee will be deemed compliant if they attain an aggregate of 90 percent or above. In the event of failure by a licensee, penalties and/or other sanctions will be applied per county and rollout obligations on a quarterly, or as may be varied from time to time in accordance with the Act,” said the CA.
The regulator has in the past fingered Airtel Kenya and Telkom Kenya for weak performance on call quality, network accessibility and internet connectivity but stopped short of imposing direct sanctions.
In the latest assessment for the year ended June 2025, Airtel and Telkom posted declines in the overall quality of service score.
Airtel dropped to 81.14 percent from 83.3 percent a year earlier, but remained above the CA quality market.
Telkom fell to 52.76 percent from 67.6 percent in the period under review, keeping it below the set regulatory quality level.
Safaricom, on the other hand, recorded a marginal improvement, posting a score of 89.72 percent compared to 88.1 percent the previous year.
Previous regulatory quality audits flagged the operators over dropped calls, poor voice clarity, low internet speeds and inconsistent service availability in several counties, especially in rural settings.
Under the CA’s proposed rules, sanctions will be applied at the county level, meaning operators could face penalties in specific regions even if their national network performance remains above the required average score.
That county-based enforcement model is set to significantly increase compliance pressure in remote and underserved regions where network congestion, weak coverage and unstable internet connectivity remain persistent consumer complaints.
Previous quality assessments by the regulator showed major disparities between urban and rural counties, with regions outside Nairobi and major towns recording weaker performance on internet and voice services.
Industry players have historically argued that maintaining consistent service quality nationwide remains difficult because of rising infrastructure costs, vandalism, electricity disruptions and uneven returns from rural investments.
The tougher enforcement by the CA reflects growing concern over the widening gap between Kenya’s rapid growth in mobile data consumption and the quality of services delivered to consumers across the country.
Kenya’s digital economy has expanded significantly over the past decade, increasing dependence on stable mobile broadband services.
Millions of Kenyans now rely on mobile internet for services such as banking, online learning, remote work and digital commerce, raising the economic cost of unstable network performance and dropped connections.
Consumer complaints over mobile network performance have, nevertheless, continued rising as internet demand surges faster than infrastructure expansion, particularly during peak traffic hours in densely populated urban centres.
Under the fresh rules, the regulatory agency is introducing technical measurements covering aspects such as call setup success, latency, data throughput, dropped calls as well as customer experience performance.
Voice services will account for half of the overall compliance score while mobile data quality will contribute 45 percent under the new evaluation model.
The regulator is also proposing stricter technical standards across emerging technologies, including tighter controls for 4G and standalone 5G network performance.
For instance, standalone 5G networks will be required to maintain latency levels below 10 milliseconds, reflecting growing demand for high-speed and low-delay digital services.
The proposals come as Kenya’s telecoms sector enters a new infrastructure cycle driven by aggressive 5G rollout, rising smartphone penetration and surging data consumption by businesses and households.
Operators have in recent years invested heavily in fibre backhaul expansion, additional spectrum deployment and tower densification to support growing traffic demand across mobile networks.
Safaricom and Airtel have aggressively expanded their 5G footprints nationally, while also accelerating broader 4G expansion and cheaper data packages targeting mass-market subscribers.
Safaricom remains the dominant telecommunications player while Airtel Kenya has aggressively expanded market share through lower pricing and heightened competition in mobile data services.
Telkom Kenya, on the other hand, continues to face infrastructure and market competitiveness challenges as fresh investment lags and rivals race to meet rising demand for faster and more stable connectivity nationwide.
