MACRA suspends issuing broadcasting licenses to FM radios

BLANTYRE– The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority has suspended the issuing of broadcasting licences and broadcasting frequencies for FM Radios in the country. In a statement signed by its Director General Daudi Suleiman, MACRA says the suspension is due to the saturation of FM band which spans from 87.5 to 108 MHZ with a total of 20.5 MHZ.

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has suspended the issuing of broadcasting licences and broadcasting frequencies for FM Radios in the country.

In a statement signed by its Director General Daudi Suleiman, MACRA says the suspension is due to the saturation of FM band which spans from 87.5 to 108MHZ with a total of 20.5 MHZ.

The Regulatory body cites another reason for licences suspension as lack of critical resource of spectrum in the main country’s cities of Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and other districts due to congestion in FM the band.

MACRA says it believes the suspension will enable it to work on solutions on reducing the congestion of the FM band.

Meanwhile, the Authority says it will continue to ensure that all issued broadcasting frequencies are utilized and that it shall not condone spectrum hoarding.

” MACRA will communicate to the public once the issue of FM band congestion is resolved and at that point, the moratorium will be lifted,” reads the statement in part.

Established in 1998 as an independent regulatory organization under Communications Act, MACRA oversees Malawi’s Telecommunications, Broadcasting, Postal Services, and Internet.

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