Communication Licenses

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) is Tonga's government agency whose main roles are to regulate broadcasting, radio communications and telecommunications, and to represent Tongan interests in international communications matters. It also has a role in regulating Internet content standards.

POWERS AND FUNCTIONS
MIC exercises powers under the Communications Act 2000 (Broadcasting Act (in relation to broadcasting) and the Radiocommunications Act (Private Experimental (Amateur) Radio Stations Regulations and Radio Operator's Certificates Regulations) as well as other related legislation (in relation to telecommunications).

The MIC works with the communications industry, consumers and other stakeholders to achieve active self and coregulation by industry, licencees and companies, while ensuring compliance with licence conditions, codes and standards. The MIC monitors the effect of regulations to ensure they are responsive to the community's needs.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Outline is general information for every wireless transmitting radio station. Every operation stations in Tonga MUST have a license unless exempted by the Privy Council.

PROCEDURES TO ESTABLISH AND LICENCE A RADIO STATION:

Application
Examination
Inspection
License
Operation

1. AN APPLICATION MUST BE FILED IN ORDER TO OBTAIN A LICENSE

An application must consist of an application form and attachments that specify:

i. the purpose of establishing the radio station,

ii. location of radio equipment and

iii. construction design of the radio equipment to be used

iv. Completion date of construction

v. Antenna / Transmitter power

vi. Requested frequency

vii. You may fill in the application form or write a letter to the CEO of the Ministry of Information and Communications and state on your letter the particulars requested above.

2. THE EXAMINATION OF THE APPLICATION

The Department of Communications, Ministry of Information and Communications will examine the submitted applications.

The following items will be examined:

Conformity of the construction design to the technical regulations specified in the Radio Regulatory Laws
Feasibility of frequency assignment
Conformity with the Department's ordinances for the essential standards for establishing radio stations other than Broadcasting Stations
Other details supplied to the applicant such as the:
- permitted hours of operation
- call sign
- type of radio wave
- frequency

3. INSPECTION OF COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION WORK

The Department is required to be informed upon completion of the construction work on radio station equipments to undergo inspections.

The following will be inspected:

Radio equipment
Qualification and number of radio operators
Necessary documents such as manuals and log books.

4. LICENSING

A license will be issued to applicants who have passed inspections or found eligible for simplified licensing procedures upon payment of the necessary fee is received.

5. CHANGES

Licensee must notify the Department when changing the location of radio equipment or when intending to carry out construction work for changing the radio equipment.

Procedures for changing location or replacing radio equipments:

Application→ examination →permission to change→ inspection→ operation

6. RENEWALS:

A licensee must submit an application before expiration in order to renew a license and continue operations after a valid term.

Procedures for the renewal process:

Application
Examination/ Inspection
Licence Renewal
Applications to renew a license must be made within one month before expiration date.

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ALSO SEE - According to the Communications Act 2000 - please click on appropriate link below.

INDIVIDUAL LICENCES

Individual licences.
Supply without individual licence an offence.
Eligibility for individual licence
Prescribed exemptions
Grant of individual licence
Existing licence.
Declared exemptions.
Standard individual licence conditions
Special conditions
Variation of licence conditions.
Compliance with licence conditions
Term of licence
Transfer of licence
Suspension or revocation of licence
Register of individual licences.

CLASS LICENCES

Class licence.
Registration.
Supplying without a class licence an offence.
Declared exemptions.
Standard class licence conditions.
Special conditions.
Variation of licence conditions.
De-registration
Register of persons under a class licence.

LICENSED RADIO STATIONS

List of Licensed FM Stations in Tonga

For further information, please contact (676) 28-170 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Broadcom Ltd’s unlicensed operation of FM Radio 88.1 is closed

Tuesday, 07 December 2010 15:44 COMMUNICATIONS - Communication Licenses

7 December 2010 Broadcom Ltd, who had operated FM Radio 88.1 FM without a license since its beginning in 2009, closed down its broadcasting business at 2:00 PM, Friday, 3 December, 2010, for breaching the law.

This was in response to a letter of the same date from the Ministry of Information and Communications advising that Broadcom Ltd was in breach of section 17 of the Communications Act, by operating a radio station without an individual licence under section 16 of the same Act.

In 2008, Government issued to the Lali Media Ltd. (now TMN Ltd,) owned by Mr. Kalafi Moala, the license for Radio FM 88.1. In mid 2009 the station opened and was operated by BroadCom Ltd, a media company owned by Mr. Maka Tohi and his wife Katalina, formerly the chief engineer and director of programmes respectively at the Tonga Broadcasting Commission. As Mr. and Mrs. Tohi were seen to be working with the licensee, it was assumed that they were operating the radio station for TMN Ltd. Such an arrangement is perfectly legal.

In August 2010 however, Mrs. Tohi gave the Ministry a copy of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two media companies dated 10th June, 2009, wherein TMN Ltd had leased to BroadCom Ltd the full operation of FM Radio 88.1, and for the full term of the license. This arrangement breaches the Communications Act 2000 wherein the authority for issuing radio licenses was then Cabinet and Privy Council and is now Cabinet only. This was the first time the Ministry learned of this breach.

Accordingly, in September 2010 the Ministry wrote to TMN Ltd advising that their license "leasing" arrangement with BroadCom Ltd was not legal, and that from the start,BroadCom Ltd had been operating FM 88.1 illegally without a license. In September both TMN Ltd and BroadCom Ltd replied asking for three months, that is until December 2010, to sort out these issues.

On 2 December 2010, TMN Ltd wrote to BroadCom Ltd cancelling their business arrangement on the same day, as TMN is about to open their own radio station and use their license. Broadcom Ltd, however, continued its unlicensed broadcasting, even after the cancellation of this arangement. And Broadcom Ltd.made no contact with the Ministry either .In such an event, the Ministry was left with no choice but to write to Broadcom Ltd.on Friday, 3 December, 2010, to cease broadcasting since they were still breaching Tonga's laws.

There have also been public complaints alleging discriminatory treatment by the radio station, and breaches of the media ethics and the legal broadcasting standards . As TMN Ltd is the licensee, these complaints were conveyed to them.

At the same time, the Ministry is considering an application from Broadcom Ltd for an Individual Licence to operate an FM Radio Station.

ENDS

Issued by the: Ministry of Information and Communications

Last Updated ( Saturday, 23 July 2011 00:15 )

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Communication Licenses

Broadcom Ltd’s unlicensed operation of FM Radio 88.1 is closed

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