ICT Policy & Regulation – Institutional Strengthening (iPRIS) aims to bridge the digital divide by boosting the capacities of African telecommunications regulatory authorities through peer-to-peer learning. Engaging 43 countries in Africa, iPRIS aims to enhance inclusive digital connectivity and drive social and economic prosperity using ICT. The regulators participating in the project include National Regulatory Authorities and Regional Regulatory Organisations across sub-Saharan Africa.
iPRIS will contribute to bridging the digital divide by boosting the capacities of African telecommunications regulatory bodies. Engaging 43 countries in Africa, iPRIS aims to enhance inclusive digital connectivity and drive social and economic prosperity using ICT.
iPRIS will build peer-to-peer capacity for African National Regulatory Authorities and Regional Regulatory Organisations. It stems from recognising the significance of ICT policies and regulations in promoting digital inclusion, equitable access to the Internet, consumer rights protection, and personal data safeguarding.
Building on the success of the ICT Regulation Policy and Practice program run between 2016 and 2022 by SPIDER and the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority, iPRIS marks a strategic leap forward. It focuses on empowering telecom regulators across Sub-Saharan Africa, boosting their capacity to shape and implement regulatory frameworks in the telecommunications sector.
The iPRIS project is implemented by SPIDER (the Swedish Program for ICT in Developing Regions ), The Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS), and the Luxembourg Regulatory Institute (ILR). SPIDER coordinates the project and offers its expertise in the digital international development sector and in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). PTS is regulation content and policy lead for the project. ILR brings its expertise in European regulation and policy for the French speaking countries.
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).
Over the five-year period, the project aims to enhance digital connectivity and drive social and economic prosperity using ICT across sub-Saharan Africa. The project provides a platform for inclusive peer-to-peer capacity-building for National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) and Regional Regulatory Organisations (RROs), recognising the significance of ICT policies and regulations in promoting digital inclusion, equitable access to the Internet, consumer rights protection, and personal data safeguarding.
