Week Two of the 8th iPRIS Cohort in Stockholm, Sweden, was successfully completed from 20 - 24 April. Telecom experts from Liberia Telecommunications Authority(LTA), Information and Communications Technologies Authority (ICTA), Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), National Communications Authority (NatCA), Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), Postal & Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), advanced from foundational concepts into applied strategies for inclusive digital transformation. The sessions built on Week One’s systems thinking and institutional frameworks, moving into practical discussions on harmonisation, broadband mapping, spectrum management, project evaluation, and regional collaboration.

According to GSMA (2024) mobile broadband coverage in Sub‑Saharan Africa now reaches over 87% of the population, showing remarkable progress in infrastructure expansion across the region, reflecting significant progress in infrastructure expansion. The challenge ahead lies in translating this coverage into affordable access and meaningful usage, a task that requires strong regulatory capacity and innovative policy design.

Throughout the week, experts from iPRIS implementing partners, including the Swedish Program for ICT in Developing Regions (SPIDER) and the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS), guided participants through interactive exchanges and case studies. Highlights included:

• Regional harmonisation efforts, with CRASA, WATRA, and EACO sharing lessons from postal quality of service projects, roaming agreements, and ICT data banks.
• Broadband mapping and data‑driven planning, showcasing Sweden’s granular address‑level model as a benchmark for measuring coverage and usage gaps.
• Spectrum management and transparency, emphasising allocation for societal benefit and the importance of openness in regulatory decisions.
• Project evaluation through the MEAL framework (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning), enabling participants to refine Change Initiatives with clear outputs, outcomes, and impacts.
• Private‑sector insights from Ernst & Young (EY), reinforcing the role of structured evaluation, risk management, and transparent reporting in sustaining institutional credibility.

By weaving together technical detail, regional experience, and practical project design, Week Two reinforced that effective regulation is not only about frameworks and policies but also about execution, accountability, and collaboration across sectors.

Day 1: Protecting users and embedding inclusion

Lisa Gurner of PTS walked the cohort through the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC), explaining how its scope has expanded beyond traditional consumer protection. Vulnerable groups such as small enterprises, non‑profits, and citizens with limited digital literacy are now explicitly considered. This shift reflects a recognition that digital inclusion is not just about access, but about ensuring fairness and safety for those least able to navigate complex markets. She emphasised that regulation must evolve with society’s needs.

Her framing encouraged participants to think about their own national contexts: who is left behind, and how can regulators extend protection without stifling innovation?

In the afternoon, the conversation then moved to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), led by Caroline Wamala and Malena Liendholm Ndounou of SPIDER. They challenged regulators to look inward, stressing that institutional culture shapes external outcomes.

This provocation sparked candid reflections. Participants discussed how unconscious bias within regulatory bodies can filter into policy decisions, whether in licensing, consumer protection, or enforcement. The facilitators illustrated this with global examples such as  Estonia’s secure digital ID system, which empowers elderly citizens to access services confidently, and Kenya’s cybersecurity frameworks, which build trust among users who might otherwise be excluded.

Day 2: Refining change initiatives

On the second day, the emphasis shifted from external frameworks to refining each NRA’s Change Initiative. Country teams sat down with European experts to discuss their ideas relating them to the practical realities and received targeted feedback on design, scope, and feasibility. These discussions helped participants sharpen their project logic and identify where adjustments were needed. The dialogue was constructive, with experts encouraging teams to embed lessons from the previous sessions.

DAY 3: Industry perspectives from Ericsson

On the third day, the cohort stepped out of the seminar room and into industry practice with a field visit to Ericsson. The experience offered a first‑hand look at how private‑sector actors approach connectivity, resilience, and innovation. Participants were introduced to demonstrations of emerging technologies, from next‑generation mobile networks to solutions designed to strengthen reliability in underserved areas. The visit emphasised the interplay between regulation and market development.

Day 4: Harmonisation, broadband mapping, and spectrum management

Day four marked a turning point in the program, as the cohort moved into the week's most technical discussions. Moderated by Katerina Schyberg, the sessions combined European regulatory experience with African perspectives, showing how harmonisation, broadband mapping, and spectrum management are not abstract policy debates but practical tools for expanding opportunity and building trust in digital systems.

Harmonisation and technology neutrality

Bo Andersson from PTS emphasised the need for EU harmonisation, stating that fragmented implementation hinders innovation and imposes burdens on regulators.

The proposed Digital Networks Act was discussed as a way to centralise regulation, though concerns about clarity and national sovereignty in spectrum authorisation remained. African regulators highlighted their challenge of being “technology receivers” and stressed the importance of participating actively in global standard‑setting to protect consumers.

Broadband mapping as a tool for inclusion

The discussion then shifted to broadband mapping, where Sweden’s model was presented by Andreas Wigren and Jens Ingman. They explained that PTS collects granular address‑level data from hundreds of operators, enabling precise measurement of coverage and progress toward national targets. They urged regulators to think beyond national silos and adopt frameworks that allow technology to evolve freely.

Participants compared their own practices, noting gaps in usage data and the need for more detailed household‑level information.

Spectrum Management and Transparency

The day concluded with a spectrum management session led by Amela Hatibovic Sehic, Gustav Lenninger, and Fredrik Johansson. They outlined Sweden’s framework for licensing, supervision, and auctions, emphasising strategies such as international harmonisation, spectrum planning, rights of use, and sharing.

Amela Hatibovic Sehic underscored the principle that “spectrum must be allocated to maximise benefit for society, not just profit for the treasury.” 

Gustav Lenninger reinforced the importance of transparency, noting that openness in licensing decisions builds trust and encourages innovation.

Examples of refarming, such as reallocating the 700 MHz band from television to mobile, illustrated how regulators adapt to evolving needs. Auctions were described not as revenue‑generating exercises but as mechanisms to promote competition, coverage, and innovation.

Day 5: Regional Dialogue and Project Refinement

Day five brought together regional perspectives, project evaluation, and private‑sector insights. The morning opened with a session led by Malena Liedholm, who introduced the MEAL framework (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) as a practical tool for refining Change Initiatives. She guided participants to see evaluation not as a static report but as a continuous learning process that strengthens impact.

With this basis, the NRAs applied the MEAL lens to their project plans, clarifying outputs, outcomes, and impacts while testing assumptions and embedding accountability structures.

Building on this foundation, representatives from the Regional Regulatory Organisations (RROs), CRASA, WATRA, and EACO shared lessons from harmonisation projects. These included CRASA’s work on postal quality of service frameworks, WATRA’s efforts to establish roaming agreements across West Africa, and EACO’s initiative to build an ICT data bank for the East African region. By sharing harmonisation projects, CRASA demonstrated that collective approaches not only strengthen service quality but also give regulators the tools to engage stakeholders with credibility. Together, these examples showed how regional collaboration strengthens national capacity and provides tested models for evidence‑based decision‑making.

The day closed with a brief visit to Ernst & Young (EY), offering a private‑sector perspective on governance and accountability.

From knowledge-exchange to Change Initiatives

Week 2 highlighted that effective regulation is built on evidence, accountability, and collaboration through frameworks such as MEAL, regional harmonisation projects, and private‑sector perspectives on governance. The cohort’s progress shows that regulators are not only absorbing concepts but actively applying them to their own initiatives.

Collaboration emerged as a central theme, reminding participants that regional progress depends on collective responsibility. 

This forward‑looking perspective highlights the urgency of translating frameworks into enforceable action. Building on this momentum, Week 3 will be dedicated to intensive work on the NRA change initiatives and the Way Forward session. These sessions will not only refine Change Initiatives but will also mark the end of the first phase of the iPRIS cycle for the 8th cohort.

iPRIS is coordinated and implemented by SPIDER in strategic and technical partnership with the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) and Institut luxembourgeois de régulation (ILR), as well as ARTAC, CRASA, EACO, and WATRA.

iPRIS is funded by the European Union, Sweden, and Luxembourg as part of the Team Europe Initiative “D4D for Digital Economy and Society in Sub-Saharan Africa” (Code: 001).

Last week marked the end of Week One of the 8th iPRIS Cohort peer-to-peer learning programme in Stockholm, Sweden. Telecom experts from Liberia Telecommunications Authority(LTA), Information and Communications Technologies Authority (ICTA), Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN), National Communications Authority (NatCA), Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), Postal & Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), convened to strengthen their regulatory capacity and advance digital transformation across Sub-Saharan Africa.

According to GSMA (2024), Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the lowest connectivity levels and the most extensive coverage and usage gaps, with 27% connected, a coverage gap of 13%, and a usage gap of 60%. This report highlights the need for African telecom experts to strengthen their regulatory capacity so as to bridge these gaps and advance inclusive digital connectivity.

Throughout the week, participants engaged in interactive discussion sessions led by experts from iPRIS implementing partners, including the Swedish Program for ICT in Developing Regions  SPIDER and the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS). Progressively, the sessions transitioned from foundational concepts in systems thinking and regulation to more applied discussions on institutional frameworks and the practical design of Change Initiatives (CIs).

Day 1: Change initiatives and project management for effective regulatory change

The first day of the programme focused on grounding participants in their Change Initiatives and an afternoon project management session to strengthen and enable effective regulatory change.

Each National Regulatory Authority introduced its change initiatives, including quality of service, Digital inclusion for people with disabilities, Cybersecurity, Market regulation, and Spectrum management. In detail, the NRAs outlined their core focus, gaps, challenges, and scope, and received feedback from not only telecom experts from PTS and SPIDER but also fellow NRAs. This peer exchange reinforced one of the core strengths of iPRIS collaborative regulatory learning across regions. Key frameworks such as Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) were mentioned, highlighting iPRIS's commitment to digital inclusivity. 

Structuring change through project management

Building on the CIs' presentations, Malena Liendholm Ndounou (SPIDER) led the participants through a project management session, shifting the focus to practical implementation. The session introduced key tools, including a project management plan, which will help them ensure effective execution of these projects so they not only meet their objectives but also advance digital inclusivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. As Malena emphasised:

A central message from the session was that successful regulatory projects depend not only on technical expertise, but also on how clearly the problem is defined and how realistically the solution is designed. Malena further emphasised success factors beyond traditional results-based management, highlighting focus, simplicity, faith, and structured planning as essential elements for driving sustainable regulatory change.

Day 2: JEO institutional and legal frameworks

Day 2 shifted focus toward the institutional and legal frameworks shaping telecom regulation in Sweden and the broader European context.

Legal experts Per Andersson and Antonia Wopenka from PTS introduced participants to the Swedish constitutional system, the structure of government institutions, and PTS's role as an independent regulatory authority. The discussion also explored how public financing, accountability structures, and institutional independence shape regulatory effectiveness.

A key emphasis was placed on the principle of independence in regulatory work.

 This reinforced the importance of safeguarding regulatory decisions from external influence in order to maintain credibility, fairness, and consistency in enforcement.

Complementing this perspective, Antonia Wopenka highlighted Sweden’s strong legal culture of openness and accountability, particularly in public administration. He stated:

 “Transparency and access are the rule, and secrecy is the exception. Official documents should be accessible to all, and secrecy must always be grounded in law.” 

Given that the EU forms the foundation of regulation in Sweden, a session on the overview of the EU, how it works and how Sweden navigates in the EU was insightful.

Secure communications, Digital identity wallet, and Cybersecurity

Digital connectivity is fundamentally about communications, particularly secure communications. Building on these, the second half of the day focused on emerging priorities in digital regulation.

Jesper Svedberg from PTS presented on secure communications and telecom preparedness, highlighting the importance of resilience, emergency readiness, and international cooperation in ensuring continuity of communication services during crises.

A session on the European Digital Identity Wallet by Per-Erik Vitasp illustrated how regulatory systems are evolving to support seamless, secure access to key national services across banking, healthcare, travel, and government platforms. By reducing reliance on repeated identity verification, the system represents a shift toward interoperable and user-centred digital governance.

The day concluded with a cybersecurity session by Gustav Söderlind. Cybersecurity has been an emerging threat to the telecom sector, and this session helped share insights into how regulatory frameworks aim to curb cybersecurity risks. Through the PTS regulations and the EU’s influence on cybersecurity policies, cybersecurity has been viewed as a question of digital resilience, regulatory oversight, and cross-border trust, reflecting the increasing interconnectedness of modern telecom systems.

Day 3: Project management and inclusive regulation

As the week progressed, participants began to strengthen and refine their CIs through deeper engagement with project management methodologies. Malena Liedholm Ndounou (SPIDER) emphasised the importance of strategic planning.

This was reinforced by the introduction of a structured seven-stage project cycle that guides participants through problem identification, objective setting, outcome definition, indicator selection, resource planning, stakeholder mapping, implementation, and MEAL.

Through case scenarios and examples from European Union and SPIDER-led projects, participants were encouraged to think critically about how regulatory ideas translate into real-world implementation. 

DEI remained central to the discussions. The importance of inclusive regulatory design was highlighted, ensuring that digital transformation initiatives consider underserved communities, accessibility, and broader social equity dimensions throughout the implementation stages of a project. This was further echoed in reflections on budgeting and equity, with the reminder that:

“There is no such thing as a neutral budget, and a budget that does not seek to balance or to reduce inequalities will by definition contribute to reinforcing existing inequalities.” - Malena Liedholm Ndounou (SPIDER)  

This day also included a field visit to the PTS, providing participants with practical exposure to the regulatory environment discussed in theory. 

Day 4: Advancing telecom regulation: Numbering, spectrum and pricing 

As the week drew to a close, participants continued to attend technical sessions on JEO numbering and spectrum management, deepening their understanding of telecom systems and regulatory evolution.

Discussions on numbering systems highlighted how traditional geographically bound structures are evolving into more flexible, user-centric frameworks driven by mobile technology. These shifts reflect broader changes in how communication services are structured and regulated in increasingly digital societies. 

At the same time, participants explored challenges such as identity manipulation and fraud. A growing concern was the rise of SMS-based fraud, as criminals increasingly shifted from voice spoofing. This highlighted the need for continuously adaptive regulatory responses to emerging risks.

Another key discussion focused on telecom pricing regulation, where structured cost models were presented as tools to ensure that operators recover investment and operating costs while maintaining fair and sustainable market conditions.

Day 5: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

iPRIS is committed to shaping an inclusive, digitally empowered future; hence, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are central to the regulations. Marking the end of week one, the participants indulged in sessions on DEI led by SPIDER experts, Malena Liendholm Ndounou and Caroline Wamala Larsson.

Throughout the morning sessions, participants explored various concepts and frameworks in DEI. Starting with intersectionality, Caroline Wamala Larsson emphasised that inequality cannot be understood through gender alone but multiple identities, including age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, race, and religion, intersect to shape individuals’ access to resources, opportunities, and digital inclusion. 

“Just as there's a gender digital divide, there's also an age divide, a race or ethnicity divide, and even a geographic divide. Many of you have talked about the rural divide in terms of how many people are actually online. So these divides also need to be considered because resources are not only about women, but also about age.” - Caroline Wamala Larsson(SPIDER)

On equity, Malena noted that having the same rights does not necessarily mean having the same opportunities. The participants explored ways to address barriers to equity, including affordability, digital literacy, relevance, safety, and security.

“Having the same rights does not necessarily translate into having the same opportunities. Equity is about targeted needs-based support.”  - Malena Liendholm Ndounou(SPIDER)

The session on DEI ended with an emphasis on regulators' roles in designing inclusive systems, particularly in sectors like telecommunications, to ensure inclusion and accessibility for all, including people with disabilities. Key examples included assistive technologies such as wheelchair-accessible ATMs, audio-supported interfaces, and Braille. The session highlighted the need to proactively create inclusive environments, recognising that disability is not always permanent or visible, as ageing can lead to conditions like low vision, loss of fingerprints, or limited mobility. 

SPIDER Projects: Advancing Inclusive Digital Solutions 

The afternoon sessions explored SPIDER’s role in inclusive development. Edna Soomre, JohnBlack Kabukye, and Katja Sarajeva introduced SPIDER’s projects. The projects were anchored in a human-centred approach to technology, as emphasised by Edna Soomre.

SPIDER has been working on inclusive digital and health innovation projects to strengthen access to essential services and build institutional capacity. Through initiatives such as Health Alliance for Digital Development and Action (HADDA) and HoliCare, SPIDER supports the development and localisation of healthcare solutions, including improved access to diagnostics and the integration of technology with training for health workers to enhance patient outcomes. 

The sessions also highlighted broader digital governance considerations, including capacity-building approaches such as EU Twinning programmes that support collaboration between government institutions and international partners to address development needs.

Conclusion

Week One of the 8th iPRIS Cohort established a strong foundation for the telecom experts in Stockholm. Across the sessions, participants progressed from conceptual discussions of regulation to a more applied understanding of how policy frameworks, institutional structures, and technological change interact in practice. The week consistently emphasised the need to translate regulatory intent into actionable, measurable, and context-sensitive interventions. 

A key insight that emerged was the evolving nature of telecom ecosystems, in which traditional systems are being reshaped by digital transformation, while new risks demand adaptive and forward-looking regulatory frameworks. In this context, Dr Caroline Wamala Larsson (SPIDER) emphasised the importance of trust and safety in digital transformation.

This was complemented by Katja Sarajeva (SPIDER), who highlighted the inherent trade-offs in digital systems.

Week One, therefore, marked the start of a deeper process of refining Change Initiatives into practical solutions that can strengthen digital inclusion and regulatory effectiveness across Sub-Saharan Africa.

iPRIS is coordinated and implemented by SPIDER in strategic and technical partnership with the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) and Institut luxembourgeois de régulation (ILR), as well as ARTAC, CRASA, EACO, and WATRA.

iPRIS is funded by the European Union, Sweden, and Luxembourg as part of the Team Europe Initiative “D4D for Digital Economy and Society in Sub-Saharan Africa” (Code: 001).

By Prof. Caroline Wamala-Larsson 

Having lived in Sweden for more than two decades, I have seen what coordinated telecommunications policy can achieve. 

I remember arriving late one winter evening in Brussels for a conference. The city was unfamiliar, the streets quiet, and I was unsure how to get to my hotel. Standing at the station, I called my husband in Stockholm. Using online maps, he guided me step by step until I arrived safely. Across Europe, connectivity follows the user, not the border. Whether travelling from Sweden to Norway or further south to Spain, my phone works as if I never left home. Calls cost the same, networks are seamless, and the experience is largely invisible.

This is not accidental. It is the result of regulatory cooperation across borders and countries choosing to prioritise affordable, reliable connectivity for their citizens. In many parts of Africa, particularly along border regions, the reality is very different.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, border communities function as shared social and economic spaces rather than clear divides. Trade, family ties, and daily movement flow across boundaries that were colonially imposed rather than socially defined. Yet mobile networks do not reflect this reality. Phones frequently latch onto foreign signals without warning, triggering roaming charges or service disruptions. For many, this is not just inconvenient it is costly.

Consider Nana Mensah, a small bakery owner in Aflao, a town along the Ghana–Togo border. Her business relies heavily on mobile connectivity to coordinate with customers, place orders with suppliers, and manage deliveries. Yet even within a small radius, her phone may connect to a neighbouring country’s network instead.

The impact goes beyond her alone. Her customers struggle to reach her, orders are delayed or missed, and communication with suppliers of key ingredients becomes inconsistent. Transport arrangements become harder to coordinate, especially when timing is critical. Over time, these disruptions translate into fluctuating orders, unpredictable sales, and reduced business stability.

Each unintended network switch brings additional costs, but more importantly, it introduces uncertainty into a business that depends on reliability. 

Similar dynamics play out across East Africa. For cross-border traders in Busia, transport operators in Namanga, or small businesses operating along regional corridors, connectivity is not optional it is a lifeline. It enables mobile payments, access to market information,  coordination of  medical teams. When networks fail or become expensive, productivity is directly affected.

From 9 to 12 March 2026, telecom regulators and experts convened in Accra, Ghana, under the iPRIS peer-to-peer programme, building on earlier exchanges held in Sweden in November 2025. The convening brought together national regulatory authorities from across Africa alongside regional bodies and international partners.

A key takeaway was clear: while mobile network coverage has expanded significantly across the continent, affordability and reliability particularly in border regions remain uneven. Encouragingly, practical solutions are emerging.

In Ghana, telecom regulators from the National Communication Authority-Ghana translated this challenge into a consumer awareness pilot in Aflao, helping residents understand how to configure their phones to avoid unintended cross-border roaming. 

At a broader level, regional cooperation is beginning to reshape the landscape. In Southern Africa, the One Network Area (ONA) framework is demonstrating what is possible when regulators align. Countries including Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi have begun harmonising roaming tariffs, with reductions ranging from 10% to over 90% across voice, data, and SMS services. Early evidence suggests that lower prices can drive higher usage, offsetting potential revenue losses.

Closer to home, the East African Community’s ONA initiative has also made progress, significantly reducing roaming costs by treating cross-border communication within partner states almost as local calls. For businesses operating across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and beyond, this has begun to ease the cost of staying connected.

What is needed now is a more intentional shift: from isolated reforms to fully integrated regional connectivity frameworks. First, regulators must accelerate harmonisation across regional blocs to ensure consistency in pricing, service quality, and consumer protection. Fragmentation undermines progress.

Second, policy must reflect the lived realities of border communities. Connectivity is experienced differently across gender, age, and income levels. For informal traders and small enterprises, even small cost fluctuations can have significant consequences.

Third, connectivity must be recognised as economic infrastructure. Cross-border trade, digital finance, and regional integration all depend on reliable communication. Addressing roaming challenges is therefore central to unlocking intra-African trade.

Finally, multi-stakeholder collaboration will be key. Regulators, telecom operators, regional organisations, and development partners must align to scale solutions.

Because connectivity is not only about communication it is also about safety, dignity, and participation.The ability to reach someone whether for business, emergency support, or simple reassurance should never depend on whether your phone has crossed into another network.

Watch more insights from Prof. Caroline alongside Norah Sitati from EACO  below