Interview with Mrs. Bernice Edande Otye, Permanent Secretary of the Assembly of Telecommunications Regulators of Central Africa (ARTAC). By Nancy Onyango.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Nancy Onyango: Hello Madam, please introduce yourself and tell us about your role at ARTAC?
Ms. Bernice: I’m Ms. Bernice Edande Otye, the Permanent Secretary of ARTAC, the Assembly of Telecommunications Regulators in Central Africa.
Nancy Onyango: Tell us a little about the organization.
Ms. Bernice: ARTAC was created in 2004, and today has 7 members, which are the national regulatory authorities of 7 Central African member states: ART of Cameroon, ARCEP of Gabon, TCHAD, RCA, ARPCE of Congo, ARPTC of the Democratic Republic of Congo, ORTEL of Equatorial Guinea.
Nancy Onyango: What are ARTAC’s aims and means of action?
Ms. Bernice: ARTAC aims to reduce the digital divide and accelerate economic and social integration in the sub-region, through cooperation and harmonization of regulatory policies in the field of Information and Communication Technologies. To achieve these objectives, ARTAC carries out a number of activities. It is in charge of harmonizing its regulatory policies; it is also in charge of monitoring and implementing projects in the sub-region. It is responsible for defining a framework for coordinating the frequency spectrum among its member countries. ARTAC makes a point of strengthening the capacities of its members and others in the sector, by sharing experiences and organizing seminars and training workshops. Today, ARTAC has 4 working groups dealing with radio communication, legal and regulatory frameworks, Fin-tech, cybersecurity and governance. We are currently finalizing a flagship project. This involves the effective implementation of “free roaming” between Central African states. We started with the CEMAC member states, and we’re going to continue this project with all the states involved.
Integration of the African telecommunications market
In addition to putting in place modern legislative and regulatory structures for the provision of telecommunications services in all the countries of the sub-region, ARTAC has set itself several objectives:
- Separation of powers
To encourage the separation of roles between political powers, regulatory authorities and licensees/service providers.
- Encourage competition
Encourage liberalization and competition projects, with a view to reforming networks and improving the efficiency of telecommunications services in the sub region.
- Connect rural areas
Encourage the development of policies to facilitate universal access and telecommunications penetration in rural and underserved areas of the sub region.
- HR capacity building
Encourage human resources and capacity building to address the shortage of local skilled labor.
