The Telecommunications Authority of Fiji, also known as TAF, was established in 2008 under the ambit of the Telecommunications Act of 2008. It was produced to provide for the regulatory aspect of reform aimed at strengthening the telecom sector, from a monopoly to an open environment. As a result of that Government intention, the Department of Communications was reformed accordingly whereby its regulatory component was shifted to TAF
The Telecommunications Authority of Fiji (TAF) was established in 2008 under the Telecommunications Act of 2008 (originally the Telecommunications Promulgation 2008).
The primary reasons for its establishment include:
- Market Deregulation: TAF was formed to manage Fiji’s transition from a monopolistic telecommunications sector to an open, competitive, multi-operator market.
- Independent Regulation: Its establishment officially shifted the regulatory duties away from the government’s Department of Communications to an independent body. This change balances consumer protections with a vibrant environment for businesses to grow.
- Resource Management: TAF was tasked with independently supervising scarce national resources, such as allocating radio spectrums, monitoring global ICT trends, and approving type-regulation requirements for importing communications equipment.
- Socio-Economic Expansion: A key objective of the reform was providing a framework to expand network infrastructure across remote regions to support Fiji’s broader digital inclusion goals.