South Africa elected to the ITU executive council and radio regulations board
South Africa has been elected to the International Telecommunications Union’s executive council and radio regulations board, the department of telecommunications and postal services announced.
The country has been elected to serve in both ITU institutions until 2022.
According to the department, South Africa received overwhelming support from the 179 member-states attending the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, where minister Siyabonga Cwele led the delegation.
The ITU is the highest decision making body of the United Nations’ specialised agency for the ICT sector.
“We are excited to be elected onto the ITU Council and the Radio Regulatory Board. We accept this enormous task with humility. We shall use the positions to push for the developmental agenda alongside the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” said Cwele.
As a member of the 48-member Council, South Africa will continue to champion the development agenda including the acceleration of broadband roll-out to support the Sustainable Development Goals, advocating for support of developing, least-developed, land-locked countries and small islands.
To advance the regional agenda, South Africa will work with other member states to lobby for the demonopolisation of the manufacturing and software industry; champion ownership of critical ICT resource to boost Africa’s economy.
Additionally, South Africa’s participating at the ITU is to influence the agenda for spectrum.
The allocation of spectrum is of significant interest as it relates to the roll-out of universal broadband and broadcasting services to reach all citizens of the global community.
South Africa will be represented by Mandla Mchunu in the Radio Regulations Board.
The 12-person RRB is tasked with approving procedures for applying the provisions of the radio regulations and for registering spectrum frequency assignments made by the member states; addressing matters which cannot be resolved through the application of the Radio Regulations and Rules of Procedure amongst others activities.
Read: South Africa to start 4G spectrum auction by April 2019
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