The International Institute of Communications (IIC) yesterday announced the launch of a local IIC chapter.
Speaking at the IIC's annual conference, group executive of regulatory affairs at Telkom, Andrew Barendse, said the new chapter is extremely important for a local focus.
The theme of the conference, co-hosted by the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA), is: “Trends in Global Communications: Making Digital Society a Universal Reality.”
The South African chapter, according to the IIC, is designed to provide a forum for industry players, academics and senior government policy-makers to engage and debate trends in the telecommunications, broadcasting and new media sectors.
“SA sits at the doorstep of the revolution driven by technological advance. Recent strides in broadband connectivity (the landing of undersea cables in Africa being the latest example) open the possibility of connecting the world in hitherto unforeseen ways, holding out the prospect of widespread economic, social and cultural benefits.”
Expanding dialogue
The institute adds that benefiting the mass of the population through the creation of a digital society will require a range of new content services and business models in the telecommunications and media sectors.
“It will involve the full potential of mobile services and applications, social media and the mobile Internet, and engaging billions who use prepaid cellphones and free-to-air radio and television, or who are still unreached by the Internet.”
As technologies, markets and the broadband ecosystem evolve, the relevant public institutions and regulatory bodies will need recasting to address new challenges, particularly in the areas of competition policy, encouraging innovation, privacy and consumer protection, according to the IIC.
“With this in mind, the IIC SA chapter aims to further the dialogue between industry leaders and policy-makers in the region, focusing on all aspects of the converging worlds of telecom, broadcast and electronic media.”
It adds Dimension Data executive chairman for Middle East and Africa Andile Ngcaba will serve as honorary chairman for the inaugural year of the chapter.
The steering committee will comprise of Barendse; Square Kilometre Array SA project manager Bernie Fanaroff; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation director of Freedom of Expression and Media Development, Guy Berger; executive director of Research ICT Africa, Alison Gillwald; former ICASA chairman Mandla Langa; and Pygma Consulting MD Mandla Msimang.
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