One county only
To operate beyond it you need national licences: an Application Service Provider licence and the matching Network Facilities Provider licence.
MNSP licence in Kenya
Your MNSP licence, step by step
Licensing a Kenyan ISP for one county. The Micro Network Service Provider (MNSP) licence lets an ISP build a network and sell internet there, and Centipid walks you through the application one step at a time.
Licensed, without the paperwork headache. We help you register your business and register your MNSP licence with the CAK, for KSh 12,000. That is our service fee alone: government registration fees and the CAK’s licence fees are separate.
What the licence covers
The MNSP, also called Tier 4, is issued by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK). It lets your company build a network on its own fibre, wireless links, towers, routers and switches, and sell internet, data and voice services over it.
Not included
Mobile virtual network operator or enabler services, data centre services, and operating across several counties.
Approved separately
Radio spectrum and phone numbers each need their own approval from the Authority.
What it costs
The Authority’s MNSP fee schedule, as a guide: KSh 52,000 to start. Spectrum, numbering and other fees are charged separately, and a fee left unpaid for more than 90 days adds interest of 2% a month.
| Amount | |
|---|---|
| Application fee | KSh 2,000 |
| Initial licence fee | KSh 25,000 |
| Initial operating fee | KSh 25,000 |
| Annual operating fee | 0.4% of audited annual gross revenue, or KSh 25,000 if that is higher |
What you get for KSh 12,000
KSh 12,000 is Centipid’s service fee to help you register your business and your licence. Government registration fees and the Authority’s own fees, from KSh 52,000, are separate and paid to them, and the CAK issues the licence.
Your business, registered
We help you register your company with the Business Registration Service on eCitizen, so you apply to the Authority as a registered business. The government’s registration fees are paid separately.
Your MNSP licence, registered
We help you put your MNSP application together and register it with the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK), one step at a time in your workspace.
From sign-up to licence
Five steps, each in your workspace as it happens.
- 01
Create your account
Tell us whether your company is registered yet. That decides where you start.
- 02
Work through the steps
Your workspace lists every step and what is waiting on you.
- 03
Apply to the Authority
The application form is on the Communications Authority of Kenya website. We show you what to have ready.
- 04
Pay the licence fees
The application, licence and operating fees are in the table above.
- 05
Stay compliant
Keep the licence duties, and file your annual compliance report.
Keep the records the licence asks for
Centipid Billing is Centipid’s billing system for ISPs. It helps you keep the records and processes the licence expects; it does not replace the licence or the Authority’s own requirements.
Accurate billing and records
Subscriber management, recurring invoicing, payment reconciliation and revenue reporting from the billing ledger, which helps you prepare the figure your auditor confirms.
Support and complaints
Support tickets with an owner, priority and status, and updates sent to the subscriber. Subscribers can raise tickets from their own portal.
Customer data
Staff roles and permissions: give each staff member only the access their role needs.
Quality of service
Router monitoring, with alerts when a router goes down.
Where to go next
The pages that carry this further, from the billing model to what it costs.
Common questions
Small and mid-sized ISPs, including wireless internet providers (WISPs); community broadband projects that bring a village or town online; providers of fibre to estates and apartment blocks; public Wi-Fi operators moving to a full internet service; and telecoms businesses serving customers in one county.
Give customers a reliable service of good quality. Bill accurately and keep customer records the Authority can inspect. Run a customer support and complaints process, and keep records of it. File an annual compliance report, and send information whenever the Authority asks. Share towers, ducts and poles fairly and without discrimination when the Authority requires it. Protect customer data, and follow the law and every condition written into the licence.
The Authority can suspend or revoke a licence for breaking these rules, for fees left unpaid, for not starting service on time, for giving false information, or if the company becomes insolvent. It must first give notice and a chance to respond.
No. It is a summary for guidance. Confirm the details with the Communications Authority of Kenya before you apply.
Your licence starts here
Create an account and we will show you the first step.