Telkom fibre provider Openserve has successfully facilitated the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Southern Africa Telecommunication Association (SATA) and the World Broadband Association (WBBA).
Beauty Apleni, the current chair of SATA and CEO of Openserve, says this milestone will inject the much-needed capacity to drive meaningful progress in growing the SADC region’s digital economy and addressing the industry challenges confronting industry providers and customers alike.
“Through the signing of this MoU, SATA members will derive meaningful benefits such as having access to the liaison and collaboration committees that the WBBA subscribes to,” says Apleni. “Other examples of these benefits include access to the white papers published by the WBBA, as well as access to other important industry bodies.”
Under the MoU, SATA members – and the African continent at large – will benefit in the following areas:
- Expanding broadband access;
- Supporting standardisation of broadband customer premise equipment;
- Harmonising broadband policy and regulatory harmonisation in southern Africa;
- Advocacy and awareness creation on broadband development and related issues; and
- Event collaboration participating in global industry events.
The World Broadband Association (WBBA) is a global, member-led organisation that serves as the collective voice for the broadband industry. It brings together cloud, AI, and broadband industry stakeholders to address and drive forward shared goals. With a mission to close the digital divide and maximise the social, environmental, and economic benefits of digital broadband equality worldwide, the WBBA is dedicated to ensuring connectivity for all.
“We are delighted to sign a MoU with SATA as it strengthens our presence on the African continent, which will ensure that our conversations and decisions are inclusive. This milestone aligns with our vision of a world where everyone has access to high-speed, reliable, and affordable connectivity,” says Martin Creaner, the DG of the WBBA.