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VOL...001 JUNE 2019

E - waste I Postal I Telecom I Databank

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All sectors need ICT to accelerate development for efficiency

and effectiveness. The fact that ICT is pivotal to fast tracking

the progress of the East African region economy was the motiva-

tion behind the formation of East African Communications Orga-

nization (EACO).

EACO brings together national ICT regulators, operators, services

providers in the telecommunication, broadcasting and postal

sub-sectors) ICT training institutions and other stakeholders in

the communication sector in the six East African countries i.e. Bu-

rundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

EACO which was originally called the East African Regulatory,

Postal and Telecommunications Organization (EARPTO) was

established in 2000 by the stakeholders in the communication

sector. Until 2011, EACO had no permanent Secretariat as this

rotated annually together with the Chairmanship among the

five EAC countries. The decision to establish a permanent Sec-

retariat was taken in 2011 following which EACO established its

permanent headquarters in Kigali, Rwanda on 1st August 2012.

EACO’s broad objective seeks to strengthen and promote co-

operation among the six Member States in the development

and provision of postal, telecommunication and broadcasting

services in the East African region. EACO harmonises ICT Pol-

icy and regulatory frameworks, promotes the development of

broadcasting, postal and telecommunications/ ICTs and devises

ways and means to achieve fast, reliable, secure, affordable and

efficient communication services within the East African region.

EACO is excited to introduce this first edition of the EACO-e

newsletter. The newsletter will cover activities that EACO is in-

volved in and give a perspective of the ICT sector and develop-

ments in the East African region. Being the first edition, an in-

troduction if EAXI is provided in regard to the working structure

and key upcoming events. This edition also presents the E-waste

and databank projects that EACO is under taking.,

NEWSLETTERVOL....001 JUNE 2019

EDITORIAL

Vision

“Coordination of development of thecommunications sector

through harmonization of policyand regulatory frameworks

in the East African Community”

Mission

“Access to communication servicesfor all in East African region”

Communications for all in East Africa

Ex-Fair House, 1st Floor, KN6 AV11,P.O. Box 6309, Kigali-Rwanda

TEL: (+250)788155100 / (+250)788612699E-mail: info@eaco.int Website: www.eaco.int

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“On behalf of EACO I am highly honored to extend my

gratitude to different stakeholders that contribute to

build a strong and sustainable regional ICT sector.

ICTs are increasingly acknowledged as essential pillars of so-

cio-economic development and stimulants of other sectors of

the economy. EACO as a single ICT institution in the region

that aims to strengthen and promote cooperation amongst

its members, has positioned itself to ensure the region is fully

integrated in the regional and global digital economy.

Since its establishment six years ago, EACO has been at the

forefront of harmonizing and integrating the ICT sector in the

East African region. This has been enabled but the close col-

laboration between regulators, and service providers in tele-

communication, broadcasting and postal sub-sectors. EACO

has subsequently become the point of reference for ICT relat-

ed matters in the region.

Francis Wangusi

Chairman’s Word

Chairman EACO

To date, EACO has developed policies and guidelines for use in

the region, and also coordinated EAC positions to international

policy meetings in the ITU, UPU and ATU.

EACO remains committed to its mission of improving the

well-being of EAC citizens through ICTs. It is our resolve to con-

tinue working in a collaborative spirit to ensure wider access

to communication by all in East Africa, and to contribute to the

achievement of social and economic development.

EACO remains committed to its mission of im-

proving the well-being of EAC citizens through

ICTs. It is our resolve to continue working in

a collaborative spirit to ensure wider access

to communication by all in East Africa, and to

contribute to the achievement of social and

economic development.

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This is an opportune moment for me to update the East

African Community (EAC) partner states, regional and in-

ternational ICT partners without whom the East African Com-

munications Organisation (EACO) would not have walked the

talk of improving livelihoods citizens in a digital economy and

fourth industrial revolution era.

Since EACO establishment we have developed a consider-

ate number of policy documents. We still have a backlog and

growing appetite to make more communications proposals

that appeal to EAC populace. We currently have a five-year

strategic plan 2018-2023.

In order to contribute and accommodate the very changing

ICT environment, EACO has identified and initiated different

key projects that are ongoing that are intended to will boost

the ICT sector in the region. Some of the key projects we are

undertaking include enhancing satellite technology, regional

databank, e-waste management strategy, a well-planned post-

al address system and preparation of World Radiocommunica-

tion Conference 2019 (WRC-19).among others.

I wish to recapitulate our major mission “To Coordinate the

development of the communications sector through harmoni-

zation of policy and regulatory frameworks in the East African

Community”. EACO shall continue to invest massive efforts

towards harmonisation of regulations and policies alongside

adopting best practices as we pursue EAC integration.

I take this opportunity to thank all EACO members and stake-

holders in the support rendered to EACO so that it can per-

form her duties effectively.

EACO ES Message

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Efforts to Create Regional Databank in High Gear

One of EACO’s objective is to promote integration and har-

monization of ICT policies in the EAC region. Reliable

source of statistic is one way we can achieve this objective.

There is need to have a reliable source of data and enhanced

data to enhance planning for ICTs development and perfor-

mance in the region. It is against this backdrop that EACO has

directed enormous efforts to build the first ever regional data-

bank to serve as a reliable reference for ICT statistics.

EACO is therefore developing a Databank for ICT statistics. The

ongoing databank project is anticipated to address the lack of

regional harmonized ICT data in the East African region. Part-

ner states are collecting data at country level, but East Afri-

ca does not have a one stop shop where ICT statistics can be

found. EACO therefore is eager to build a central place where

to increase access to statistics on ICT.

The databank will provide performance measurements and

growth trends for the ICT sector in the EAC region. This da-

tabank will also be used to provide information on ICT in the

region to EACO members and its stakeholders in the EAC region

and globally.

EACO is optimistic that the databank will boost development,

fast track regional integration and make the industry more risk-

free through eliminating numerous uncertainties and errone-

ous growth projections linked to either absence and/or inaccu-

rate statistics and provide information to potential investors in

the region.

A regional team comprised of experts from the six East African

countries have come together to determine the scope of the

project and supervise its implementation. The team is currently

reviewing the indicators and parameters.

The databank is expected to be up and running in the third

quarter of 2019.

“The ongoing databank project is an-

ticipated to address the lack of regional

harmonized ICT data in the East African

region.”

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Committees and Working Groups

Effectiveness and efficiency have always been at the centre

of EACO’s decisions and commitment . To achieve them is

highly reflected in its current structures, which indicate a signif-

icant identification of suitable committees and working groups,

officials noted.

“During the strategic plan 2015-2018, working groups and com-

mittees were consolidated to enhance effectiveness and effi-

ciency,”. After the recent coalescing of committees and working

groups, the communications organization boasts of only two

committees and seven working groups. The committees and

working groups report to the Executive Committee (Excom) .

Members on committees and working groups are exclusive-

ly EACO members from EAC partner states. The members are

categorized into regulatory, sector and associate. Regulatory

members are regulators while sector members refer to realms

broadcasting, postal and telecommunications/ICT operator duly

licensed by a regulator. And, associate member refers to any in-

stitutions other than a regulator or sector member with appe-

tite and commitment to direct efforts towards the advancement

and promotion of EACO’s objectives.

The two committees include;

Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee: Review

strategic plan, annual activities and budget, financials. Advices

EXCOM on any issues related to financial matters.

Legal and HR Committee: Interprets and reviews the EACO

constitution, HR Manual, and the financial rules of procedure. This

committee enables the smooth function of EACO based on best

practice

The seven working groups are:WG 1: ICTs Policy & Regulatory Frameworks Harmonization: This

group review existing ICT policies and regulatory frameworks, and

also harmonized policies and related frameworks.

WG 2: ICT Infrastructure Development, Connectivity, Sharing and

Digital Inclusion: This group is currently looking at infrastructure

sharing, management of critical infrastructure, digital inclusion

and promoting peering and interconnection in East Africa

WG 3: ICT Applications, Consumer Protection Issues and Cyber

security: The WG deals in particular with the e-transaction, con-

sumers rights and obligations, QoS & QoE, establishment and op-

erationalization of CERTs.

WG 4 Postal & Courier Services Development and Regulations:

The WG deals in particular with strategies for implementation of

the various UPU postal strategies, modernization and transforma-

tion of the postal sector.

WG 5 Broadcasting Development, Spectrum Management & and

Media Services Regulations: Some of the work ongoing in this

group is: Review of Free to Air sustainability, strategies for digi-

tal sound broadcasting, strategy and roadmap for future spectrum

use, management of orbital slots, cross border frequency coordi-

nation, and adequate preparation for WRC-19 are underway.

WG 6: Communications Numbering Plans, IP Addressing, Service

Pricing & Industry Analysis: This group looks at Allocation, us-

age and the management of telecom numbering and internet re-

sources, allocation for Network color codes and scrambling codes,

recommendation on the Transition from IPV4 to IPV6, identifies

trends in the industry and makes recommendations

WG 7: e-Waste and Counterfeit gadgets Management: The WG07

in collaboration with Regional e-waste Management Strategy

team are working towards harmonised and aligned legal policy

and regulatory framework for e-waste in EACO member states.

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Preparations for EACO 23rd Congress and 26th

Assemblies are Underway

The 23rd EACO Congress and the 26th Meeting of Assemblies will be held in the Republic of Tanzania from 1st – 5th July

2019, hosted by the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Au-thority (TCRA) on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Tanzania.

The Congress is the highest decision-making organ of EACO and the biggest event for the communications sector in East Africa.

The EACO Congress meets every two years. The EACO Assem-

blies comprised of: Assembly of Regulators, Assembly of Postal Operators, Assembly of Telecommunications operators and As-sembly of Broadcasting Operators meet every year.

The theme for this year’s Congress and Assemblies is “Position-

ing of the East African Region in the Digital Economy”. Issues

Message from DG-TCRA on the 2019 Congress and Assemblies

affecting and promoting digital economy in East Africa such as infrastructure, connectivity, emerging technologies, digital fi-nancial inclusion, e-commerce et cetera will be discussed and deliberated upon during this event.

The Congress and its pre-events will bring together over 300 delegates comprise of policy makers, legislators, regulators, op-erators/services providers in the ICT sector, the academia and consumers of ICT services in the East African region.

This year’s meeting of Congress and Assemblies will include two parallel workshops which are intended to reinforce the theme of the Congress and discuss current and futuretechnol-ogies and key issues in the Postal, Broadcasting and Telecom-munications sectors with presentations from eminent speakers in the ICT industry.

Tanzania is honored to host the EACO 23rd Congress and 26th As-semblies from 1st – 5th July 2019 at the Bank of Tanzania Training Institute in Mwanza, Tanzania. This year’s EACO Congress and Assem-blies events will bring together a number of stakeholders in the ICT sector from within the region as well as globally. This will create an opportunity to showcase devel-opments and innovations in ICT as well as discuss and debate on the key trends in the postal, telecom and broadcasting sectors.

A special team from TCRA is working closely with EACO secretariat to make necessary arrangements and preparation towards the events.

I take this opportunity to welcome all stakeholders to Tanzania to attend this event.

I also take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Pol-icy makers especially the support from the Minis-tries of ICTs in the six East African Countries and the EAC and to the EACO members to the fundamental role that they have been playing to build up EAC regional capacity. It is the support and effort from different stakeholders that make the work of ICT in-tegration and harmonization a reality in East Africa.

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Scaling up Awareness of E-waste Management

E-waste is one of the ICT challenges

that call for urgent attention from all

stakeholders in the communications sec-

tor to address environment degradation

and health menaces linked to discarded

electronic materials, officials at the East

African Communications Organisation

(EACO) have revealed.

Any refuse created by discarded elec-

tronic devices and components as well

as substances involved in their manu-

facture or use constitutes what we call

e-waste. Electronic equipment and ac-

cessories including mobile phones and

computers are made from poisonous el-

ements that pose a danger to the health

of human beings, especially if dumped in

our surroundings.

With the rapid diffusion of ICTs in econ-

omies of EAC member states, we are wit-

nessing a generation where more and

more people are being connected to net-

works through smart phones, tablets, lap-

tops, computers and other devices.

in a bid to bridge the digital divide and in-

crease access to ICT services, have in the

last twenty years our countries allowed

importation of high volumes of second

hand electrical and electronic devices like

computers, mobile phones and TV sets

many of which were either near-end of life,

irreparable or obsolete.

“Where do people put their old mobile

phones, TV sets, video cameras, computers

and laptops, ATM and electronic accesso-

ries of all sorts?” We usually dump them

anywhere and at the end of the day they

not only pollute the environment such as

water bodies and soils but also emissions

and discharges of toxins from electronic

waste, debris and dust from broken metals

can pose a great risk to human life.

In 2017, EACO adopted a “Regional

e-waste management strategy”, devel-

oped by a dedicated task force under

the EACO Working Group 10 through its

Regional E-waste Management Steering

Committee.

The strategy has several goals, mainly

the establishment and strengthening

of the EACO regional e-waste manage-

ment steering committee and the estab-

lishment and strengthening of national

e-waste management steering commit-

tees and/or e- waste management tech-

nical working teams in each of the 5

EACO Member Countries (Burundi, Kenya,

Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda). This is

all in the vision of “achieving zero neg-

ative impact of e-waste in EACO member

states by 2030”.

The strategy promotes the principle of

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

to finance proper collection and treat-

ment of e-waste in the region. It also calls

for harmonization of policies and legal

frameworks in EACO member states, the

establishment of regional infrastructure

and easy trans-boundary movements of

e-waste in the region.

Two E-Waste Strategy sponsored work-

shop have been held this financial year.

One was held from 13th to 14th Decem-

ber, 2018, Kenya and another in 18-19th

March 2019 in Bujumbura Burundi. The

workshops are geared at discussing ef-

fective ways to ensuring implementation

of the e-waste strategy in the East African

region.

“Where do people put their old mo-bile phones, TV sets, video cameras, computers and laptops, ATM and electronic accessories of all sorts?”

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EACO is pleased that three of its members will have the opportunity to contribute to ICT development and policies at the ITU.

Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya were elected to the ITU Council at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2018 that took place in Dubai in November 2018. Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya will be among the 48 states that make up the ITU coun-cil. ITU Council considers broad telecommunication policy issues to ensure that the ITU activities, policies and strate-gies fully respond to today’s dynamic, rapidly changing tele-communications environment. The East African region will therefore contribute and influence decisions strategies and policies at an international level in the ICT sector

Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya Voted to the ITU Council

Kenya

Uganda

Rwanda

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Upcoming EACO Events

MEETING VENUE DATE

EACO WRC -19 Preparatory Meeting

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Mwanza, Tanzania

Kigali, Rwanda

3rd-5th June 2019

6th-7th June 2019

1st - 5th July 2019

17th July 2019

EACO - SADC WRC - 19 Preparatory Meeting

EACO 23rd Congress & 26th Assemblies

EACO/GSMA Fraud and Abuse Prevention Workshop

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EACO Affiliated Bodies

East African Community(EAC)

University of Dodoma (UDOM)

Internet Society(ISOC)

Global System for Mobile Communications Association

(GSMA)

Multi Media University of Kenya (MMU)

Communications Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa

(CRASA)

ERICSSON

Africa Advanced Level Telecommunication Institute (AFRALTI)

International Telecommunications satellite organisation

Swedish Program for ICT in Developing Regions

(SPIDER)

CommonwealthTelecommunications organisation (CTO)

South African Telecommunications Association (SATA)

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East African Communications Organisation

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Phone: +250 788 61 26 99

Email: info@eaco.int

Website: www.eaco.int

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