Amman: Jordan boasts an advanced communications infrastructure, propelling it to the forefront of Middle Eastern competitiveness through ongoing modernization and network expansion.
Twenty-five years ago, the imperative to attract investment in key sectors of the national economy spurred legislative reforms aligned with economic openness. This initiative sought to privatize key sectors, fostering fair competition and granting the private sector pivotal roles in their management.
Under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, Jordan embarked on ambitious endeavors to position the Kingdom as a regional hub for communications investment. This vision saw milestones such as the granting of the first mobile phone license in 1999, the introduction of third-generation services in 2010, and the rollout of fourth-generation services in 2015. Notably, Jordan led the charge in introducing fifth-generation services in 2023, outpacing many regional counterparts.
Bassam Sarhan, CEO of the Telecommunications Regula
tory Commission, highlighted Jordan’s significant strides in liberalizing the fixed telecommunications market and expanding mobile and fixed services. These efforts not only introduced new services but also drove down prices and diversified options to accommodate varying purchasing capacities.
In a conversation with the Jordan News Agency (Petra), Sarhan underscored the sector’s achievements since 1999. These include legislative reforms such as the amendment of the Communications Law in 2002, which rebranded the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications as the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, affirming the commission’s independence.
Jordan’s commitment to fully liberalizing the mobile telecommunications market in 2004, along with the implementation of additional licensing programs, further underscores its dedication to fostering a dynamic communications landscape. The subsequent liberalization of the fixed telecommunications sector in 2005 marked another pivotal step in this trajectory,
he added.
In 2006, tender documents for licenses to utilize radio spectrum frequencies in the fixed broadband wireless access services domain were sanctioned, paving the way for the issuance of licenses for such services. Simultaneously, Jordan issued its first-class license for satellite Internet services to Starlink, marking the initiation of satellite Internet provisions in 2023.
Highlighting the regulatory landscape, Sarhan noted the Commission’s pivotal role in establishing the Network of Arab Bodies to Regulate the Telecommunications Sector, assuming leadership in its inaugural session. From 2004 to 2019, numerous memorandums of understanding were inked with Arab and international regulatory counterparts, underscoring Jordan’s significance in the telecommunications sector.
Addressing emergent demands, additional frequencies were allocated to mobile telecommunications firms in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, their contributions to the success of the government’s accelerators program in 2022
were noteworthy.
Further initiatives involved enhancing coordination between the commission and the Ministry of Local Administration to streamline data sharing, Sarhan pointed out, adding that efforts also extended to collaboration with the Central Bank of Jordan to digitize revenue collection procedures and activate electronic documentation systems for financial transactions.
He said that ensuring service quality remained paramount, prompting the establishment of a specialized center in 2017 to monitor communications service quality and radio broadcasting stations. Additionally, a central database was established in 2018 to track fiber-optic network expansion, aligning with global trends in broadband internet services.
Jordan’s recognition as an international training hub for telecommunications service quality by the International Telecommunication Union in 2019 underscored its commitment to excellence. Moreover, the commission’s recommendations on monitoring mobile phone network service quality were adop
ted, further bolstering its regulatory standing.
Recent advancements, Sarhan noted, include the approval of Internet of Things instructions in 2020 and the successful satellite internet services experiment by SpaceX in 2022. These developments set the stage for the licensing of satellite internet services
In 2005, the commission granted its first license to a private postal operator, marking a milestone in postal service regulation. Subsequent measures in 2012 addressed anti-money laundering and terrorist financing in postal services, while 2019 saw the licensing of the first postal company to provide delivery services through smart applications, he stated.
Source: Jordan News Agency