IN EXERCISING OF THE POWERS conferred by the section 47 of the Communication Act 2015, the Communications Licensing Rules 2017 was made and enacted to guide the licensing of Network Operator and Service Provider through application processes, obligation to notify the regulator in such changes made to its details differ when application initially made, and the mechanisms used to calculate annual license fee including application fees, annual return lodgment, audit requirements, invoicing and payment installments as well as pro-rata fixed or reduction. Currently, across the country it is served by 14 active Network Operator licensees providing telecommunication and broadcasting services, while two licensees are under development.
Please see below for the details regarding the Licensing Rules and Fees.
On this page
↓Network Operator Licensing↓Service Provider Licensing
↓Radio Spectrum Licensing
↓Licensing Application Forms
↓ Network Operator License Fees
↓ Licensed Network Operators
Network Operator Licensing
Fees and amounts payable by Network Operators:
| Type of Fee or Amount | Amount | Reference |
| Application fee | TOP 200 | subsection 47(1)(b) of the Act |
| Threshold amount | TOP 2,000,000 | subsection 43(4) of the Act |
| Fixed amount | TOP 1,500 | subsection 43(3) of the Act |
| Fixed percentage | 1.50% | subsection 43(5) of the Act |
(a) If the network operator’s eligible revenues for the previous financial year is below the threshold amount, which shall be a fixed amount prescribed under the licensing rules; or
(b) If the network operator’s eligible revenues for the previous financial year is equal to or greater than the threshold amount, which shall be the sum of the fixed amount referred to in paragraph (a) and an amount calculated as a fixed percentage of network operator’s eligible revenues less the threshold amount for the previous financial year.
Fees and amounts payable by Service Providers:
| Type of fee or amount | Amount | Reference |
| Application fee | TOP 200 | subsection 47(1)(b) of the Act |
| Threshold amount | TOP 125,000 | subsection 43(4) of the Act |
| Fixed amount | TOP 1,500 | subsection 43(3) of the Act |
| Fixed percentage | 1.50% | subsection 43(5) of the Act |
(a) If the service provider’s eligible revenues for the previous financial year is below the threshold amount, which shall be a fixed amount; or
(b) If the service provider’s eligible revenues for the previous financial year is equal to or greater than the threshold amount, which shall be the sum of the fixed amount referred to in paragraph (a) and an amount calculated as a fixed percentage of service provider’s eligible revenues less the threshold amount for the previous financial year.
Radio Spectrum Licence Types and Fees:
|
Service Category |
Ref. |
Licence type |
Duration of licence (years) |
Annual fee (TOP) (exclusive of consumption tax) |
|
Aeronautical |
1 |
Aircraft radio station |
1 |
$100 |
|
2 |
Ground based aeronautical station |
1 |
$500 |
|
|
Broadcasting |
3 |
FM radio station transmitter |
5 |
$500 |
|
4 |
AM radio station transmitter |
5 |
$500 |
|
|
5 |
Digital television station transmitter |
5 |
$1000 |
|
|
Cellular |
6 |
Cellular block assignment |
15 |
Per Bandwidth
|
|
Fixed links |
7 |
Point-to-Point link |
5 |
$300 |
|
8 |
High frequency Point-to-Point link |
5 |
$150 |
|
|
9 |
Point-to-Multipoint link |
5 |
Per Bandwidth |
|
|
10 |
Fixed links block assignment |
15 |
Per Bandwidth |
|
|
Land mobile |
11 |
Base station |
1 |
$50 |
|
12 |
Land mobile block assignment |
1 |
Per Bandwidth |
|
|
Maritime |
13 |
Ship radio station |
1 |
$50 |
|
14 |
Coastal station |
1 |
$200 |
|
|
Radio amateur |
15 |
Radio amateur |
1 |
$50 |
|
16 |
Repeater station |
1 |
$50 |
|
|
Satellite |
17 |
Satellite earth station |
5 |
$5,000 |
|
18 |
Transportable satellite earth stations |
5 |
$100 |
|
|
19 |
VSAT terminal* |
5 |
$200 |
|
|
20 |
VSAT Terminal Blanket for Licensed Network Operators |
5 |
$5,000/500 terminals |
To apply for any Licence, please find the types of Licence(s) and details below:
A Service Provider Licence will authorize you to provide communication services to the public. Click HERE to View or Download the application form.
A Network Operator Licence will authorize you to provide telecommunication and broadcasting services to the public. Click HERE to View or Download the application form.
A Type Approval Licence will authorize you to market all your radio communication and telecommunication equipment(s) in the Kingdom of Tonga. Click HERE to View or Download the application form.
A Spectrum Licence Aeronautical will authorize you to establish, operate or use any apparatus or radiocommunication service in any place or on board of any aircraft registered in the Kingdom. Click HERE to View or Download the application form.
A Spectrum License Broadcasting will authorize you to establish, operate or use any apparatus or radiocommunication service within the country with the purpose of broadcasting services – AM, FM and TV Broadcasting. Click HERE to View or Download the application form.
A Spectrum License Broadcasting will authorize you to establish, operate or use any apparatus or radiocommunication service within the country with the purpose of mobile telecommunication cellular services. Click HERE to View or Download the application form.
A Spectrum License Fixed Links will authorize you to establish, operate or use any apparatus or radiocommunication service within the country with the purpose of providing radiocommunication links between points of locations including but not limited to point-to-point (P2P) and point-to-multipoint (P2MP) links. Click HERE to View or Download the application form.
A Spectrum License Land Mobile will authorize you to establish, operate or use any apparatus or radiocommunication service within the country with the purpose of mobile communications within the land areas. This license category is different from mobile telecommunication cellular services. Click HERE to View or Download the application form.
A Spectrum License Maritime will authorize you to establish, operate or use any apparatus or radiocommunication service in any place or on board of any marine ships registered in the Kingdom. Click HERE to View or Download the application form.
A Spectrum License Amateur will authorize you to establish, operate or use any apparatus or radiocommunication service for the purpose of amateur radio services including amateur repeater station. Click HERE to View or Download the application form.
A Spectrum License Satellite will authorize you to establish, operate or use of satellite radiocommunication services out or into the country including – Fixed or Mobile Earth Stations, and VSAT terminals. Click HERE to View or Download the application form.
For more information, please click here to download the Communications Licensing (Amendment) Rules 2019.