ANC regulates this sector under Decree-Law No. 15/2012 of 28 March, as amended by Decree-Law No. 31/2024 of 6 September. The aim of the law is simple: good telecom services that are available to everyone, at a fair price and with good quality, in an open and competitive market (Article 2).
What ANC does
- Registers service providers. A company that wants to offer telecom services in Timor-Leste must first register with ANC (Articles 5 and 30). ANC gives it a registration certificate that lists the services and networks it may offer, where, and the legal obligations it must follow.
- Manages telephone numbers. Phone numbers are a limited national resource. ANC plans them and gives number blocks to operators (Article 5).
- Watches quality of service. ANC monitors operators and makes sure they follow the law and ANC's rules (Article 5).
- Protects consumers. If your operator does not solve your problem within 15 working days, ANC's Consumer Protection Desk can help. One member of ANC's Board represents consumers (Article 7).
- Settles disputes between operators, for example about connecting their networks (Article 5).
- Sets fees in a fair way. Fees are set by an ANC regulation that the Council of Ministers must approve (Article 13, as amended in 2024).
SIM card registration
Every mobile phone service in Timor-Leste must be registered to its user (Government Decree No. 9/2008). ANC runs the Mobile Service Registration System, launched in 2019.
