Malawi excited about ITU digital dividend

GOVERNMENT

By Gregory Gondwe, Lilongwe, Malawi

Malawi says it is excited about one of the resolutions at this year’s World Radio Communication (WRC) conference in Geneva, where a second ‘digital dividend’ was identified that will enable the introduction of more high speed broadband wireless access systems.

Briefing telecommunication and ICT operators about the conference, Malawi Communication regulatory Authority (MACRA) Director General Charles Nsaliwa said this would facilitate the harmonisation of frequencies for electronic news gathering and enhance the coordination of processes, to ensure long term spectrum availability.

“This year, the conference made a number of key decisions,” said Nsaliwa. He said the outcome of the conference would ensure proper utilisation and management of radio frequencies, which is a vital and scarce resource for the ICT industry.

The other exciting thing at the conference, Nsaliwa said, was that most resolutions made locally had been adopted at that level.

“Further studies have been proposed on the harmonization of short range devices on a global scale and on revising the channeling arrangement of some bands to facilitate introductions of digital technologies,” he said.

The radio Communications Section of the ITU organizes WRC conference every three to four years to discuss and find solutions to technical issues concerning radio communications services across the globe.

MACRA’s Director of Spectrum Management, Lloyd Momba, some of the issues discussed at the conference this year, which have now been tabulated in form of the resolutions, would be implemented in the next two to three years.

He said Malawi would ensure that it complied, since the country aimed to ensure the long term availability of spectrum for all technologies.

“We will continue to conduct wide consultations on these issues as we strive for a common position,” he declared.