Section 33, The Telecommunications Act, 2006

(1) Any person who immediately before thecommencement of this Act is engaged in telecommunications without a licence and wishes to continue such operations, shall apply for a licence under this Act within three months of such commencement and shall cease operations if he has not secured a licence within three months of such commencement. (2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding Le10 million or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both such fine and imprisonment. (3) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the incumbent operator shall be deemed to have been licensed under this Act in such fields of operation, including fixed telecommunications services and internet gateway and for such period as the Commission shall by Government Notice determine being not less than two years and not more than five years. (4) For the purposes of subsection (3), the incumbent operator shall be the Sierra Leone Telecommunications Company Limited. (5) The incumbent operator shall own and operate the only international gateway for a period of two years after the commencementm of this Act and shall thereafter be renewed by the (6) The incumbent operator shall own and operate the only installation after the commencement of this Act subject to review by the chairperson after the expiration of this period.