Somalia tops global telecom reform rankings in ITU report

Somalia has recorded the largest improvement in telecommunications and digital regulation anywhere in the world, according to a new report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), marking a dramatic turnaround for a country that once had virtually no formal ICT regulatory system following the collapse of Somalia’s central government.

The ITU’s ICT Regulatory Tracker 2007–2024 ranks Somalia as the world’s fastest-rising country in telecommunications regulation after its score climbed from 0.0 in 2007 to 77.5 in 2024, the largest increase recorded globally over the 17-year period.

The ranking places Somalia ahead of countries including Comoros, Solomon Islands, Eswatini and Kuwait in the ITU’s list of the world’s top regulatory reformers.

The report, published in May 2026, tracks how countries build and modernize the rules governing telecommunications, internet services and digital infrastructure. It evaluates whether governments have functioning regulators, fair competition rules, consumer protections, licensing systems and policies capable of attracting investment and expanding connectivity.

Somalia’s rise is particularly striking because the country started from an almost complete absence of institutional regulation. In 2007, after years of conflict and state collapse, Somalia lacked a comprehensive national telecommunications framework. Telecommunications services were largely provided by private operators working in fragmented conditions with limited oversight.

Despite that regulatory vacuum, mobile and telecommunications services continued to expand organically, driven by largely monopolistic private companies responding to growing demand in both urban and rural communities. Over time, however, the absence of regulation created mounting challenges, including weak consumer protection, unclear licensing arrangements, spectrum management problems and uncertainty for investors.

As Somalia’s federal institutions gradually re-emerged, the telecommunications sector also began to make steady progress. Successive reforms introduced by post-2012 state institutions created a nascent institutional framework which, although still largely funded and supported by donors, introduced new legal and regulatory measures aimed at formalizing the sector.

Those reforms helped the country steadily climb the ITU’s regulatory rankings while expanding internet and mobile access across urban, semi-urban, and rural areas. Increased investment, largely driven by the private sector, in telecommunications infrastructure has contributed to broader connectivity and improved access to digital services for lower- and middle-income households.

It is worth noting that he ICT Regulatory Tracker measures countries across four major areas: the strength of regulatory institutions, the scope of their authority, the quality of regulatory tools and the competitiveness of telecommunications markets. The system classifies countries into four generations of regulation. Generation 1 reflects basic command-and-control oversight, while Generation 4 represents mature and integrated regulatory systems with strong competition safeguards and advanced market rules.

Somalia’s rise also reflects a broader transformation taking place across Africa. According to the report, African countries have made significant gains in telecommunications regulation over the past two decades. The number of African countries in the lowest regulatory category declined sharply between 2007 and 2024, while a growing number moved into the more advanced G3 and G4 tiers associated with modern and integrated regulation.

Still, Somalia’s pace of improvement stood out globally. However, Somalia’s first-place ranking does not mean the country has the world’s most advanced regulatory system. Countries such as Italy, Lithuania and Finland continue to rank much higher in overall regulatory maturity, with highly sophisticated digital governance systems, independent regulators and advanced competition frameworks. Instead, Somalia’s number-one position reflects the scale and speed of its transformation over the past two decades.