By Clifford Agugoesi, Editor-in-Chief
Late last year the International Institute of Communicationss (IIC) highlighted the responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that have been undertaken by regulators and industry in Southern Africa and West Africa, and now the IIC beams its searchlight to East Africa. Some high profile speakers have been lined up already for this event which promises to be as successful as the one s before it, if a heads-up obtained from the Director-General of IIC, Lynn Robinson are anything to go by.
The latest speakers to join the discussion are from the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) and from the African Telecommunications Union. These will be joining their peers who are at the forefront of crisis management, and also shaping the continued evolution of policy and regulatory frameworks to close the digital divide and enable digital transformation for all.
The speakers at the previous webinar focusing on West Africa, concluded that there are four key steps to digital democracy – investment in infrastructure; digitisation of content; enabling population-wide access; demand-side campaigns to encourage uptake.
Attendees to the East African version will find out what IIC’s latest panel of experts have on their priority lists.
The comprehensive speakers list at the virtual roundtable include:
- Executive Secretary, East African Communications Organisations (EACO) Dr. Ally Y Simba
- Acting Executive Director and Director, Engineering and Communication Infrastructure,Uganda Communications Commission, Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo
- Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Safaricom, Stephen Chege
- Head of Government & Policy Affairs Middle East & Africa, Nokia, Dr Brahim Ghribi
- Deputy Executive Director, Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) Annette Ssemuwemba
- Radiocommunications Coordinator, African Telecommunications Union, Kezias Mwale
The roundtable will be chaired by the 2020 BEREC Chair, who doubles as the Director General, Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS), Dan Sjöblom.
Regulation in times of pandemic and lessons for the future: African responses – East Africa
Holds on Tuesday, 19 January 2021, 1700 EAT / 1400 GMT / 1600 CAT / 2200 SGT.
