ICT regulators from across Africa have gathered in Lilongwe for the 13th Smart Africa Council of African Regulators meeting aimed at fostering efforts towards the creation of single digital market for Africa.
Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) Legal Affairs Director, Thokozani Chimbe, said Smart Africa seeks to address accessibility to ICT infrastructure, availability and affordability of ICT services and the impact of submarine cable breaks, among others.
Chimbe said once the project is successful, ICT gadgets and services, including data will be affordable in the country and beyond.
“We want to have one market, one network for Africa, not the Malawian network or Zimbabwean network, but an African network so that when we are actually bargaining for or buying other things from outside Africa, like phones and other gadgets, we should be buying in bulks as Africa,” she said.
According to Chimbe, the intiative aims to establish regulatory frameworks that enable member states to do things in a harmonised way.
Smart Africa is a commitment from Africa heads of state and government to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development on the continent through affordable accessible to broadband and usage of ICT technologies.
