SOMALIA: ONE COUNTRY WITH UNLINKED TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Garowe, March 27, 2019– “Nambarkaan ma wicikartid” (“You can not call this number”)—a phrase every Somali knows all too well. Despite paying for telecom services, customers are locked into provider silos, unable to call friends, family, or businesses on competing networks. Only a few operators, like Golis, Hormud, and TeleSom, have limited interconnectivity, forcing many to juggle multiple phones or dual-SIM devices.
Why does this persist? In a functioning economy, regulators and companies prioritize interoperability, recognizing that communication is a public good—not just a corporate battleground. Yet in Somalia, telecoms still operate with a fragmented, war-era mindset, treating customers as captive revenue streams rather than partners in progress.
There are solutions—if stakeholders choose to act:
Regulatory Intervention – The government must enforce mandatory interconnectivity, as seen in other markets. No telecom should profit from artificially isolating customers.
Revenue-Sharing Agreements – Competing providers can adopt fair pricing models for cross-network calls, ensuring mutual profitability without harming consumers.
Public Pressure – Customers, businesses, and civil society should demand better, voting with their wallets and voices for unified communication.
Nationalist Vision – Somali telecom leaders must rise above zero-sum competition. A connected Somalia benefits everyone—including their long-term bottom line.
The current system is unsustainable. As Somalia rebuilds, its institutions can not afford to replicate the failures of the past. History will judge whether today’s leaders fostered division or laid the groundwork for a truly connected nation.
Ismail H. Warsame
iwarsame@ismailwarsame.blog
@ismailwarsame