State officially launches Africa Telecommunication Conference(ATU) in Kenya

The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy in Kenya,Mr. Eliud O. Owalo, yesterday presided over the launch of African Telecommunication Conference Union in Kenya(ATU).

“We are particularly honored to host this Africa Regional preparatory meeting for the upcoming World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly 2024,scheduled for October this year in New Delhi, India,” He said.

Speaking during the launch in Nairobi,He said the Government of Kenya lauds the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) for convening this workshop to ensure that Africa is not only prepared to
effectively participate in WTSA-24 but also speak with one voice.

“ Our region has, for far too long, lost many opportunities through the pursuit of
narrow national interests instead of championing our common good as
Africans. Regional preparatory meetings of this nature, therefore, need to
become the norm rather than the exception,”The CS stated.

He commended the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for allowing regional co-ordination of common proposals in readiness for the standard-setting and treaty-making conference and for supporting this meeting with experts.

He noted the Telecommunications standards are the lifeblood of ICT connectivity and industry developments.

“I say this because ICT standards provide
manufacturers with a solid basis on which to compete in the global marketplace,
unhindered by technical barriers. Without standards, users would pay more for
ICT goods and services. Consumers of ICT would bear the full cost of the lack
of compatibility, interoperability, and seamless communications across diverse
platforms and technologies,”Said the CS Owalo.

“This prospect would be difficult to contemplate in a world that is increasingly reliant on ICTs to support economic activity and a wide array of basic public services,”He added.

Mr. John Omo, Secretary General, African Telecommunications Union (ATU) on his part acknowledged the extensive participation both physically and virtually from around the continent.

“This being the first ATU event this year, we have the opportunity to set the pace and momentum for the rest of the year, sustained by our remarkable previous successes and collective hopes and aspirations for the future”,He disclosed.

The CG revealed that In partnership with Afrinic,an effort has been initiated to raise awareness and provide capacity building for the migration to IPv6.

“An exciting development on the horizon is the upcoming IPv6 Certification training scheduled for this month, with a target of 100 participants. This is part of our commitment to ensuring that stakeholders in Africa are well-equipped to embrace the latest Internet Protocol standards,” He said.