The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has initiated a regulatory overhaul aimed at governing the country’s rapidly expanding 5G and 4G networks. In a public notice released on Monday, January 12, 2026, the regulator invited stakeholders and the general public to participate in a month-long consultation to define new Quality of Service (QoS) standards.
This move follows a surge in high-speed data consumption across the country. Recent CA data reveals that 5G users in Kenya now consume an average of 40GB of data monthly, nearly triple the 14GB used by 4G subscribers, necessitating a more robust framework to ensure network performance matches consumer demand.
The current QoS framework was established in 2018, a time when 5G technology had not yet been commercially deployed in Kenya. According to CA Director General David Mugonyi, the telecommunications landscape has shifted significantly since then.
“Over the years, there have been significant developments in the telecommunications sub-sector, necessitating a review of the current framework to include measurement of new technologies such as 5G among others,” the Authority stated.
The proposed rules seek to move beyond simple coverage metrics, introducing stricter benchmarks for actual user experience, including:
- Latency Requirements: 5G networks must maintain latency below 10 milliseconds to support high-speed applications, while 4G networks are capped at 80 milliseconds.
- Call Success Rates: For 5G networks in standalone mode, call setup times must remain under two seconds, with voice quality scores of at least 4.0 out of 5.
- Performance Accountability: The framework will separately measure radio signal quality and actual service performance to pinpoint whether issues like dropped calls are caused by a lack of towers or network congestion.
In compliance with constitutional requirements for public engagement, the CA is encouraging mobile network operators, consumer lobby groups, and individual citizens to review the draft document. The regulator intends for these standards to provide a clear roadmap for operators while protecting consumers from paying for “5G” speeds that do not meet the technical threshold.
Failure to meet these targets in the past has led to fines for major telecommunications firms, and the new framework is expected to give the CA even more precise tools to hold service providers accountable.
The proposed “Framework for Quality of Service (QoS) Measurement for Telecommunication Services” is currently available for download on the official Communications Authority website.
Interested parties have until the close of business on February 13, 2026, to submit their written comments. Submissions can be delivered to the CA Centre in Nairobi or sent via email to TelecomQoS@ca.go.ke.