CA to regulate cable installations by internet firms in new

Kenya's Communications Authority (CA) has stepped into a critical infrastructure gap by releasing draft Technical and Procedural Guidelines for Installation and Maintenance of Cable Telecommunication Infrastructure in 2026. This regulatory move standardizes how licensed operators and contractors install, service, and repair fiber optic and other telecom cables across the country—addressing years of ad-hoc practices that have slowed network rollout and inflated deployment costs.

### The Problem These Guidelines Solve

For over a decade, Kenya's telecom sector has lacked unified standards for cable installation. Internet service providers (ISPs), mobile operators, and fiber companies operated under fragmented procedures, often duplicating efforts or conflicting with municipal infrastructure plans. The result: delayed broadband expansion in underserved regions, inconsistent maintenance protocols, and disputes over right-of-way access. These new guidelines are designed to eliminate those bottlenecks by establishing a single rulebook for the entire industry.

### What the Guidelines Actually Regulate

## What technical standards will operators face?

The draft guidelines specify installation depths, cable spacing, environmental protection measures, and maintenance checkpoints. Operators must now follow standardized trenching protocols, use approved materials, and maintain detailed asset registers—eliminating the informal, lowest-cost-first approach that has dominated. The CA also mandates quarterly inspections and incident reporting, creating accountability where none existed before.

The regulatory framework applies equally to major telecom players like Safaricom and Airtel and to smaller fiber ISPs, creating a level playing field. Contractors must be certified, and operators must obtain pre-installation permits from the CA, a process the guidelines define clearly for the first time.

### Market Implications: Cost vs. Coverage

**Short-term:** Compliance costs will rise. Operators will need to invest in certified personnel, updated equipment, and administrative systems to track installations. Safaricom, which already operates under strict governance, faces minimal disruption. Smaller ISPs, however, may struggle with certification requirements, potentially consolidating the market further.

**Medium-term:** Standardization accelerates fiber rollout. When operators know exactly what's required, deployment timelines shrink. Kenya's fiber penetration—currently 3.2% in rural areas—could accelerate toward the 2025 ICT Master Plan target of 5% by 2027.

**Long-term:** Consumer costs may initially rise (passed through by operators), but competition should compress margins once deployment scales. The real win is network resilience; standardized maintenance reduces outages and improves service quality.

## How will this affect Kenya's digital economy?

Better infrastructure standards unlock e-commerce, fintech, and cloud adoption in tier-2 and tier-3 towns. Investors in telecom infrastructure funds and fiber rollout projects should see improved project certainty, attracting institutional capital previously wary of Kenya's regulatory unpredictability.

### Timeline and Next Steps

The CA is accepting stakeholder feedback on the draft until Q1 2026, with final guidelines expected by mid-2026. Operators have a 12-month grace period for existing installations before full compliance is mandatory.

**Investors should watch:** Safaricom's capex allocation for fiber (currently ~18% of annual capex), smaller ISP funding rounds, and infrastructure fund appetite for Kenyan assets post-regulation. The guidelines reduce deployment risk—a critical signal to offshore capital.

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