Somaliland, which declared its independence of Somalia in 1991, enjoys a relatively well-functioning civil society and peace. ICT usage is still very low, but with clear development potentials associated especially with the presence of telecommunication companies from neighboring countries, expatriates engaged in the universities and other sectors, and the presence of five telecom operators and several VSAT operators. Motto: Justice, Peace, Freedom, Democracy and Success for All Anthem: dum ala khair, dum ala khair, Samo ku waar Samo ku waar Saamo ku waar Capital Hargeisa Largest city Hargeisa Official language(s) Somali, English, Arabic Government Republic  - President Dahir Riyale Kahin Independence From Somalia   - Declared May 18, 1991   - Recognition... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The initialism ICT has several meanings: abbreviation for Information and Communication Technology abbreviation for Indochina Time UTC+7 hours Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C., a football team playing in Scottish Premier League International Computers and Tabulators, former name of a British computer industry company Information and Communications Technology intra-company... Telecommunication is the transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication. ... An expatriate (in abbreviated form expat) is someone temporarily or permanently in a country and culture other than that of their upbringing and/or legal residence. ... A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ... Telecom is an abbreviation of telecommunication. ... VSAT is short for Very Small Aperture Terminal. ...

There is no telecommunication regulatory institution in Somaliland. There is consensus among actors that it would be desirable, but Somaliland is at the beginning of the institutional creation process. Consensus has two common meanings. ...

The competition in the telecommunication market is “a negotiated competition”. All operators cooperate in the Somaliland Telecommunication Operators Association, where they agree on prices and give information on this to the Ministry. Prices are uniform and adjusted according to inflation and the exchange rate to the US-dollar.

Fierce competition has driven consumer costs down; international calls on mobile phones cost $1 U.S. per minute or less, five or six times lower than in most African countries. The low prices for international calls may be seen as a combined result of real “competition”; low economic level/development and no public intervention. link titleThe word international can mean: Between nations or encompassing several nations. ... Competition is the act of striving against another force for the purpose of achieving dominance or attaining a reward or goal, or out of a biological imperative such as survival. ...

Satellite technology is playing an instrumental role in Somaliland. Based on 2002 prices, it has been shown that a VSAT-based asymmetrical 128/64 connection in any given location in Somaliland costs $0.058 per minute, assuming the connection is used 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Further, the connection may be shared by several PCs and the “per minute charge” can then be lowered accordingly. A tele-centre scenario in Somaliland showed the rate per PC to be $0.005 per minute. It has been suggested that Satellite orbit be merged into this article or section. ...