Macra lifts suspension on issuance of radio frequency licences

Malawi Communications Authority (Macra) says it has lifted the suspension on issuance of radio frequency licences in the FM band of 87.5 to 108 MHz.

Macra director general Godfrey Itaye says the regulator suspended the issuance of radio frequency licences in the fm band to allow for re-planning of the band which had become congested and could not accommodate additional radio stations.

“A new plan for the band has been developed and Macra is ready to implement it. Some of the issues to be involved in the implementation include;

“Some  broadcasters will be asked to switch off their transmitters in identified sites; some broadcasters will be reassigned frequencies; others will be required to reduce transmitting power to avoid interference,” says Itaye.

Itaye says content service providers can therefore apply for frequencies using the normal procedures and the issuance of the new frequencies will be done simultaneously with the implementation based on progress.

He says Macra has set up a task force for implementation and broadcasters are members of the task force to ensure transparency.