The SADC ICT Sub-Committee (SCOM) meeting was held in Gaborone, Botswana, between 4-6 July 2018. The meeting convened ICT Ministry Permanent Secretaries and Senior Officials from member states. It was aimed at preparing records and recommendations for the SADC ICT Ministers who will meet later this year, in Windhoek, Namibia, in September.
The GSMA attended and was represented by Kamal Tamawa who delivered presentations on the Voice of LTE and 5G, and the Modern Regulatory Framework for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Following the GSMA’s interventions, the SCOM committed to recommending to the ICT Ministers that 5G Trials be facilitated in SADC member states with 5G spectrum and regulatory support to be provided by regulators in the region.
The SCOM further reviewed progress towards the ongoing project to develop a Roaming Cost Model for the region and also endorsed a recommendation to the ministers for new broadband targets to be adopted for the region.
The ICT Ministers will meet in the week of 24 September with counterparts from the transport and meteorology sectors anticipating to be involved.