media landscape guide about Somalia - Internews

The main problem is poor inter-connectivity between the different mobilephone networks. This is particularly serious in South Central Somalia.Many Somalis resort to using several different SIM cards (and phonenumbers) to get round this problem.Some have mobile phones that can take up two or three different SIM cards.Hormuud, Golis and Telesom do have good connectivity with each other.All three companies are partly owned by Ahmed Nur Ali Jimale, the formerboss of the Al Barakat money transfer company.Al Barakat was accused by the United States of channeling funds to AlQaeda. It was closed down by US President George Bush shortly after the9/11 Al Qaeda attacks on the World Trade Center towers in New York withhijacked planes in September 2001.Somalia Telecom and Somaliland Telecom which have a common owner,also enjoy good connectivity with each other.Several telecommunications companies gave generously to charities duringthe 2011 drought.Somalis in the diaspora also sent millions of dollars to help people throughmoney transfer companies.A lot of this cash went to areas controlled by Al Shabaab that were difficult foraid agencies to physically access.Significant challenges to the telecommunications sector include the lack ofpolicy and regulation and the proliferation of small operators who are unableto offer an adequate nationwide service.The lack of radio spectrum control has led to harmful interference between thesignals of rival networks in some areas.Many international NGOs and private companies, such as big hotels, havetheir own VSAT systems for reliable internet access and direct telephoneaccess to the rest of the world.Puntland has fairly good mobile network coverage.Some companies have extended their range in Puntland in recent years,particularly in coastal areas, where pirates are reputed to be heavy mobilephone users and lucrative customers.The regions around Bossasso, Galkayo, Qardho and Garowe have goodmobile coverage, but some remote and mountainous areas are out of range87