The East African Communications Organisation (EACO) and the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation have formed a strategic alliance in a bid to “deepen” engagement.
The CTO has 33 full member countries, including South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana, and another 18 part member countries. The EACO has a membership of more than 60 entities including private companies and countries including Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
The new partnership is based on “commonalities of the membership and sectors they operate in” and the two organisations will now coordinate their activities in the region, especially in relation to capacity building and conferences.
Hodge Semakula, Executive Secretary of the EACO, said: “EACO is pleased to form this partnership with the CTO through which our members will be able to benefit from the many services that the CTO provides. As a multilateral organisation, I hope the CTO will also provide us with an avenue to engage more widely with the Global ICT agenda.”
Prof Tim Unwin, Secretary General of the CTO, said: “It is very important that we seek to reduce overlap and duplication of activities between international organisations working in the same broad area.”
He added: “I am positive that this MoU will enable us to deliver better value to ICT stakeholders across East Africa.”
The CTO primary focus remains on helping its members to beat the 2015 international deadline to complete the migration from analogue to digital.
