Article 8 of Telecommunications Regulatory Authority Law

The Board of Directors shall exercise all powers necessary for the Authority to perform its functions, in particular the following: A - Establishing and updating plans and programmes relating to implementation of the State's general policy in the telecommunications and information technology sectors. B - Approving the granting of licences and permits relating to the establishment, operation and management of public telecommunications networks, the provision of telecommunications and information technology services to users, and the establishment and operation of international telecommunications infrastructure and international access infrastructure, on the basis of specifying the mechanism for announcing licences, the conditions for granting them, and the time period required for granting them from the date of closing 1 ( Items Ta - Tha - Kha - Dhal were added by Law No. 98 of 2015 applications. J - Approving the renewal, amendment or cancellation of those licences and announcing the decisions issued in this regard. D - Establishing the conditions and controls relating to the granting of licences and new permits to operators who, before the establishment of the Authority, obtained rights or permits or contracts or an allocation of a resource to provide telecommunications and information technology services relating to the use of radio frequencies and the Internet. H - Bringing the status of current operators into conformity with the provisions of the Law and bringing the status of existing networks owned by the private sector or the State, except networks owned by State security institutions, into conformity with the provisions of this Law. W - Approving the Authority's policies, particularly those relating to encouraging competition, preventing monopoly, distributing and allocating the radio frequency spectrum, and providing services. Requiring the licensee to provide and install devices, equipment, software, computers and all techniques and technology capable of preventing and blocking offending materials, links and websites and collecting information and data passing through it or by means of it or via satellites or maritime passages or radio waves or through any other newly emerging means, whether using the Internet or any other public telecommunications network or another public or private one, all at its expense. Z - Establishing the bases for determining prices and charges for telecommunications and information technology services provided to users in a manner consistent with the actual state of competition in the provision of the service and its level, and monitoring their application. Ḥ - Determining prices and charges for telecommunications services provided to beneficiaries where competition is absent or weak. Ṭ - Following up on the application of sanctions against those violating licensing conditions and the provisions of this Law. Y - Proposing recommendations relating to the allocation of land for the benefit of licensees in accordance with the provisions of this Law and the legislation in force. K - Deciding complaints submitted to the Authority by users and licensees, establishing standards for resolving Internet disputes and taking the necessary measures in respect thereof, except disputes relating to financial entitlements arising from the application of agreements in force. L - Forming the advisory committees necessary to assist the Authority in carrying out the duties entrusted to it. M - Approving the technical rules and standards for connecting personal telecommunications devices and other wired and wireless devices to public telecommunications networks, approving procedures for bringing those devices into Kuwait, and publishing them in the Official Gazette and any other means of announcement deemed appropriate by the Board. N - Regulating access to telecommunications networks and the conditions for interconnection between them in accordance with instructions issued by the Authority for this purpose, approving the interconnection agreements referred to in Article 25 of this Law, and ensuring that the agreements do not violate those instructions, subject to the conditions of any licence granted by the Authority or any agreement concluded with the Ministry before the provisions of this Law entered into force. S - Approving a national numbering plan for public telecommunications services and distributing numbers to those services and their providers on objective and transparent bases without any discrimination. ‘Ayn - Approving and issuing the instructions necessary to implement the policy relating to the universality of telecommunications and information technology services. F - Identifying public projects and services relating to raising the level of telecommunications and information technology in the State which require support from the Public Treasury owing to their lack of economic viability in the private sector, and determining the method of providing support so as to achieve the enhancement of services in both sectors. Ṣ - Determining the revenues accruing to the State from licences and permits and determining the consideration it pays to the Authority. Q - Appointing one or more internal and external offices to audit the accounts. R - Approving the Authority's draft annual estimated budget, and endorsing the annual report issued by the Authority, the draft annual balance sheet, the final accounts and the external auditor's report. Sh - Approving the organisational structure and job descriptions of the Authority's executive apparatus. Ta - Approving the Board of Directors' regulations to regulate the Board's work and specify the rights and duties of its members. Tha - Approving the Authority's employment affairs regulations, including the rules for appointing, promoting and disciplining employees, their salaries, remuneration, benefits in kind and financial benefits, and all other civil service affairs. Kha - Establishing the rules and provisions for conducting tenders and auctions relating to the Authority. Dhal - Approving the Authority's internal rules and the financial, administrative and accounting regulations necessary for the Authority's work. (1)