By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The African
Telecommunications Union (ATU) has announced a regional technical collaboration
partnership with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
(ICANN) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) aimed at
strengthening digital infrastructure and advancing Internet protocol
development across Africa.
The announcement was made
during the 2026 ITU Regional Development Forum for Africa held in Victoria
Falls, Zimbabwe, where ATU Secretary General John Omo joined ICANN Senior
Director for Government and Intergovernmental Organization Engagement Laurent Ferrali,
and Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of the ITU Telecommunication
Development Bureau.
The collaboration builds on
ongoing continental efforts to accelerate Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)
deployment, which is seen as critical for expanding internet capacity,
improving network resilience and supporting the growth of Africa’s digital economy.
Earlier in the year, ATU,
ICANN and the African Advanced Level Telecommunications Institute (AFRALTI)
conducted training programmes in Nairobi that brought together policy and
technical experts from 30 African countries. The training focused on IPv6 readiness,
regulatory alignment, deployment strategies and national transition roadmaps.
According to ATU, the
initiative has now progressed to the deployment phase, including the
establishment of IPv6 testbed infrastructure in selected pilot countries to
support practical implementation and national-level adoption planning.
The organisation stated that
the collaboration is expected to strengthen the long-term resilience of
Africa’s digital systems by enabling member states to develop structured
pathways for IPv6 implementation.
ATU reaffirmed its
commitment to working with member states and international partners to
translate technical cooperation into scalable infrastructure development that
supports inclusive and sustainable digital transformation across the continent.
