Call for Africa to harmonise telecommunications regulations

NEWLY elected Council of African Regulators (CAR) vice president, Dr Gift Machengete, who is also the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) director general, has called on African states to increase collaboration towards harmonising telecommunications sector regulations.

Dr Machengete was nominated and elected as (CAR) vice president here yesterday at the ongoing pre-sessions of the Transform Africa Summit.

Speaking at the 12th Smart Africa Council of African Regulators meeting, he challenged African regulators to embrace the ICT revolution and harness its opportunities to transform the continent.

“As African regulators, are we prepared for the metaverse and all its complexities? Are we ready for this futuristic virtual world where humans can visit and interact with each other and even live there?” said Dr Machengete.

“How are we going to regulate activities of virtual representatives of humans called avatars in the metaverse?

“Can humans be held accountable for the actions of their avatars in this virtual world, especially where avatars may have their own thoughts and emotions, thanks to Artificial Intelligence?

“As African Regulators, are we prepared for Artificial Intelligence where computer programmes are now developing human-like feelings to the extent of falling in love with humans? Will we accept relationships between man and machine – are we prepared for that?”

Dr Machengete said African regulators must swiftly adjust to digital changes, which requires agile regulation that can only be achieved through “collaborative regulation and regulation through international cooperation”, among other approaches.

“I am happy to note from the programme that we have a progressive agenda where we shall hear updates on the ‘One Africa Network, Cybersecurity and 5G Regulation in Africa’, among other issues.

“These are issues we certainly cannot ignore if we are to meaningfully participate in the fourth industrial revolution as a continent,” he said.

Dr Machengete applauded Smart Africa for creating such a platform for African regulators to come together as a council to collaborate and prepare for current and emerging regulatory issues in the new digital era.

“The Indians have a proverb, which says ‘the razor blade is sharp but cannot cut a tree. The axe is strong but cannot cut hair.

“If you want to cut a tree and if you want to cut hair, then you need both’. This is to say we all have different experiences as regulators.

“Our coming together allows us to tap into each other’s experiences to achieve more as a continent,” he said.

Dr Machengete said the coming together allows African countries to collaborate in order to prepare and position themselves to address regulatory issues. —chronicle