The iPRIS 7th cohort's second week in Stockholm clearly showed the programme's transition from basic systems thinking to regulatory problem-solving in practice. During Week 1, the baseline concepts were established; meanwhile, regulators will continue engaging with the SPIDER, the PTS experts, and the Regional Regulatory Organizations (RROs) -  WATRA, EACO, and CRASA. Week 2 was mainly focused on participants' Change Initiatives (CIs), and the regulators were given the chance to take home practical tools and frameworks that could be adjusted to suit African contexts. The National Communications Authority (NCA Ghana), Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA), Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA The Gambia), Communications Authority (CA Kenya), and Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) are the Sub-Saharan African countries included in this seventh cohort. 

Day 1: Expert clinics and CI deep dives

On Monday, the teams worked exclusively with RROs, SPIDER, and PTS experts in closed sessions to better define their problems, verify their assumptions, and prepare their evidence needs for the technical sessions that would follow. These closed clinics were the foundation for the week’s technical exchanges and ensured that participants could apply the lessons directly to the CIs.

Below are some highlights from the sessions: 

Day 2: Beyond universal access: reframing inclusion

Moving from “universal” to “meaningful” access

At Stockholm University’s Department of Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV), the participants were given a warm welcome into Sweden’s academic and policy ecosystem. Caroline Wamala Larsson and Malena Liedholm-Ndounou from SPIDER transformed the concept of access by taking the discussion beyond infrastructure and connectivity. The presenters clarified the distinction between having coverage and having connectivity that was genuinely useful in people's lives. They pointed out that, although coverage had grown in many areas, truly meaningful access required a stable power supply, a budget mobile phone, technical literacy, personal safety, appropriate content, and cultural alignment, without which the connection remained low.

The hard numbers: Coverage vs. usage reality

The group examined recent GSMA statistics indicating that Sub-Saharan Africa had a usage gap of around 61%, equivalent to approximately 710 million people in the network coverage area who were not regularly accessing mobile internet. This gap was not due to the lack of towers but rather to a variety of factors, such as affordability, literacy, relevance, and safety.

The moderators also mentioned gender-related trends: the GSMA data referenced in the discussion showed that 93 million women in Sub-Saharan Africa did not use mobile phones. They also pointed out that the network covered 215 million women but did not have access to the internet through mobile phones, demonstrating the compounded effect of factors such as ownership, freedom, and social barriers on women’s digital engagement.

Not just equality but equity

The sessions used easy-to-understand analogies, the apple tree, and a “game of life” depiction to emphasize that giving equal inputs does not always result in equal outcomes. Regulators were prompted to consider equity from the standpoint not just of treating everyone equally, but of creating different interventions so that those starting from disadvantaged positions can reach the same outcomes as others. This perspective called for the active participation of the government, civil society, and private-sector partners to confront and eliminate structural barriers together.

What is the reason for the gap in usage? 

The participants grouped these barriers that were overlapping: 

• Affordability—the costs of both device and data-restricted usage, even when the coverage area was available, and women's purchasing or use of mobile phones were often the least-priority items affected by household budget trade-offs. 
• Digital and general literacy—having limited skills reduced people’s confidence and their ability to use online services. 
• Relevance of content and language—there was not much content online that was relevant to the locals; the session pointed out that Swahili made up only 0.07% of the online content, despite there being around 150 million speakers, which highlighted the issue of content relevance. 
• Safety and privacy—women were one of the groups that reported not using services due to safety fears, and the possibility of the photos or data being weaponised was one of the strong reasons for not using the services.

These findings shifted the discussion from a monolithic infrastructure concern to multidimensional policy responses that integrated USAF investments with social policy, education, language, and safety measures.

Competition regulation — practical frameworks and market realities

The session on the competition regulations with PTS specialists Alberto Naranjo and Björn Backgård quickly shifted from the theoretical to the practical in the African markets. The long formulas were no longer the subject of discussion but rather the main question for the consumer, the regulator, and the operator, facing completely different conditions from those in Europe. Participants compared two approaches to regulation: Europe's price-based and cost-based regulation, and the most powerful insights came from the audience itself.

The main factors that influenced the conversation:

Smartphone use is going to skyrocket.

Sub-Saharan Africa is going to move from 54% to more than 80% smartphone adoption among mobile subscribers. A young population, affordability programs, and the availability of digital services are the main reasons for this change. The competition and the market access will be totally different.

Mobile Number Portability is not a big deal when every user has at least two SIM cards.

Consumers have been switching operators by changing SIMs, as many regulators have reported. Nowadays, the interconnection rates are so low that the incentive to be “on-net” is no longer there, so there is not much urgency for MNP in a lot of markets. 

Prepaid is the king — and he changes the rules of the game.

In markets where prepaid is the leading payment method, customers are quick to reward excellent service and just as quick to punish poor quality. However, this also indicates underlying problems, such as the low number of credit users. 

Roaming is still a tricky situation.

Although there are regional regulations in SADC and ECOWAS, operators still resist lowering wholesale rates to a great extent. Wi-Fi and apps like WhatsApp are helping users avoid roaming charges, even though they still incur them. 

A common conclusion

The nature of the competition, in effect, is not determined by the number of operators but rather by the presence of genuine choice, fair prices, and incentives that align with the purchasing behavior of African consumers.

Day 3 – Inside Ericsson: Technology, policy and the future of connectivity

On the third day, the group moved to the heart of Sweden's innovation scene - the Kista headquarters of Ericsson. The day began with the welcome of Peter Olusoji Ogundele, who presented on market trends, regulatory priorities, and next-generation technologies. A Global Spectrum Update explained how the demand, licensing, and coordination in the spectrum are changing globally - a must-have background for Change Initiatives that require good spectrum planning. Afterwards, a survey of the satellite market revealed the emergence of LEO constellations and the impact of new players on rural areas' coverage, competition, and prices in Africa.

During one of the sessions, which were very forward-looking, EU AI policy and enterprise AI compliance were reviewed, and the interconnection among telecom infrastructure, data governance, and emerging AI-driven services was highlighted. After that, the Ericsson team introduced network security from a holistic perspective, highlighting the three aspects of resilience, threat detection, and the changing responsibilities of critical infrastructure operators.

In the afternoon, the group toured the Ericsson Imagine Studio, participating in hands-on demonstrations of Digital Twin technologies, XR applications, network slicing, enterprise solutions, FWA deployments, and advanced Quality of Service tools. They thus saw the abstract concepts transformed into tangible solutions.

The day concluded with a multistakeholder panel discussion among Ericsson, Telia and PTS, where the participants were allowed to query the industry experts about the factors that encourage investment, the competition so far in the market, and its future dynamics. Day 3 was an experience paralleled by none in the whole week - a hands-on, high-impact encounter with the technologies and the ruling industry perspectives molding the communication in Africa.

Day 4: Measuring impact, understanding people, and strengthening change initiatives

Day 4 merged the two most essential factors of this ipRIS cycle: efficient project management and the adoption of the deep, human-centric digital inclusion lesson. The morning session, entitled Beyond Universal Access Part 2, was conducted by Dr Caroline Wamala Larsson. The session challenged participants to investigate who still lacks connectivity and the reasons for this. In the afternoon MEAL session, guided by Malena Liedholm Ndounou, the focus was on assisting the teams in refining their Change Initiatives into structured, fundable, and measurable projects.

Building Stronger Projects Through MEAL

Malena took the NRAs through the result chain, impact, outcomes, outputs, and convinced the teams to start by thinking of the end. Impact statements like “improve digital inclusion” are driven by ambition, but still, change initiatives need to be expressed in terms of deliverable outputs and measurable indicators. The teams focused on refining their project plans, identifying internal and external stakeholders, and outlining where modifications will be necessary when actual implementation begins.

It was noted that organisations often overlook accountability and learning. Malena reminded the participants that assessing what didn’t work is a must: “If you had the opportunity to restart this project, what would you do differently?” This approach, she pointed out, is as much a part of national telecom regulation as it is of everyday organisational practice.

Beyond universal access: Understanding usage gaps and human realities

The group spent time discussing the week's main question again: Why does high infrastructure coverage not result in high usage? The discussions in the room highlighted that the coverage gap globally has now been reduced to about 4 per cent. In comparison, the usage gap has remained at about 39per cent and 60 per cent in Sub-Saharan Africa. The talks brought out a number of reasons, such as: the cost of the service, the lack of smart mobile phones, which is often below 20%, the limited skills of the users, and the myths that still exist — ranging from EMF rumors to 5G conspiracies — that affect people's behavior as consumers.

Dr Wamala pointed out the need for sex-disaggregated data, equitable numbering, and addressing resource allocation and consumer awareness as regulatory levers that could help in closing the divide. Participants recounted their national experiences with Girls in ICT programs, children's online protection, regional consumer parliaments, and reforms in cybercrimes legislation.

Anticipating the final day of week 2

The second week of the iPRIS 7th cohort cycle in Stockholm has been very participatory and illuminating, from actual site visits to learning about DEI and project management principles. Today, the focus will be on MEAL in greater depth and on exploring practical applications of European regulatory practices. The first part of the day is devoted to hands-on sessions by Malena Liedholm Ndounou from SPIDER, who will introduce regulators to the tools and methodologies that they can use to plan, monitor, and evaluate their change initiatives effectively. 

The next step for the participants is a visit to Telia at the Mall of Scandinavia, where Egle Gudelyte-Harvey, Head of Legal, will speak to the group about Western European telecom operations, regulatory compliance, and innovative practices, including digital services, legal frameworks, and network management case studies. The incorporation of such experiences will enable attendees to link theory and practice; they will see how big players navigate difficult regulatory situations, keep their operations running, and even turn a profit. 

Each morning and afternoon session will be interactive, with peer learning and reflection, and will include time for participants to share their insights and plan their next steps. By blending classroom learning with on-the-ground exposure, week two has strengthened participants' capacity to lead change initiatives in their respective countries, thereby spreading practical understanding of how European regulatory policies can guide and inspire the digital transformation in 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).

The seventh iPRIS cohort began its journey in Stockholm with an intensive and collaborative first week designed to strengthen regulatory capacity, deepen understanding of the Joint European Offer (JEO), and consolidate the Change Initiatives (CIs) that will guide national institutional strengthening over the next year.

Across the week, African National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) engaged with African and European experts on spectrum, broadband deployment, regulatory independence, evidence-based decision-making, project management, and emerging policy issues, laying the groundwork for a cycle defined by learning, practical insights, and peer-to-peer collaboration. The NRAs include National Communications Authority (NCA Ghana), Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA), Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA), Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA The Gambia), Communications Authority (CA Kenya), and Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA). They are joined by Regional Regulatory Organisations (RROs) - WATRA, EACO, and CRASA, who will guide them on their iPRIS journey to realise their change initiatives. 

Day 1: Change initiatives take centre stage

The week opened with a dynamic series of CI presentations from NRAs across Africa. The various countries presented their CIs relevant to nations, with discussions ranging from spectrum roadmaps to AI policy readiness, consumer protection, community networks, and satellite regulation. A complete spectrum roadmap for 2025-2035 that would bring together scattered policies and improve future-readiness was presented by Edem Debrah of Ghana. Kenya discussed its plan to help community networks reach marginalised areas, with Thomas Luti highlighting, “community networks… are for the people, run by the communities for their own benefit.” Lesotho highlighted the need to regulate AI and emerging technologies, with Alex Maama stating, “The LCA will… proactively work on the required policy to regulate emerging technologies for the good of the country effectively.”

Malawi, The Gambia, and Botswana regulators also shared CIs on spectrum initiatives related to quality of service enforcement, spectrum management, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), and satellite services regulation. SPIDER’s Edna Soomre grounded the day’s work with a reminder of the programme’s purpose: “We want to drive you to the results of your change initiatives. You have the answers because you know the context.”

Day 2: Understanding regulatory evolution and the European model

Tuesday’s sessions provided a deep dive into regulatory models, project structures, and the legal foundations of independence and cooperation in Europe. Alexandra Högberg opened with a project management masterclass on intentional design, reminding participants: “Clarity of purpose is what keeps a project anchored when everything around it shifts.” Lars Gustafsson charted Sweden’s evolution from a monopoly environment to a competitive, high-performing telecom market. His session showed how regulatory frameworks must evolve in tandem with market dynamics, spectrum demands and technological change.

Per Andersson unpacked the legal foundations of the Joint European Offer, explaining Sweden’s constitutional separation between ministries and NRAs. His discussion illustrated why independence, transparency and legal certainty are necessary safeguards for credible regulatory practice. Building on this, Antonia Wopenka introduced the European Electronic Communications Code and emerging EU instruments, including the Gigabit Infrastructure Act and AI regulation. She highlighted how harmonised rules and regional cooperation equip regulators to navigate cross-border markets and fast-moving technologies.

These sessions clarified how legal certainty, transparency, resourcing, and institutional design underpin effective regulation, offering lessons for African NRAs working to strengthen their own frameworks.

Day 3: Broadband planning, data, and evidence-based regulation

Wednesday’s programme focused on the technical backbone of digital transformation: broadband deployment, mapping, and secure communications. Andreas Wigren opened with a look at Sweden’s broadband journey, demonstrating how clear targets and coordinated investment can drive long-term digital infrastructure. “State support works best when it complements the market, not replaces it,” he explained. Jens Ingman followed with a practical session on broadband mapping, stressing the centrality of reliable data: “Good mapping is the basis for good decisions. Without accurate data, you can neither plan nor regulate effectively.”

African regulators contributed national perspectives, from Ghana’s challenges with commercial viability to Malawi’s interest in demand-prediction tools, highlighting shared challenges and opportunities. An afternoon visit to the PTS headquarters introduced participants to Sweden’s secure communications frameworks, complemented by an evening reception that strengthened cross-continental professional bonds. The secure communications session was delivered by Per Erik Vitasp, Gustav Söderlind, and Joakim Aspengren, providing insight into Sweden’s approach to network resilience, emergency communications, and institutional coordination.

Day 4: End-User Protection, Digital Inclusion and Numbering Systems

Thursday brought the focus to the user-facing side of regulation,  ensuring that digital markets are fair, inclusive and accessible. The morning opened with Lisa Gurner, who introduced Europe’s regulatory approach to end-user protection. She explained how transparency rules, switching procedures and preventive supervision support markets where users can clearly understand their rights and make informed choices. Her session also highlighted PTS’ collaboration with the Swedish Consumer Agency and the mechanisms used to protect vulnerable groups. She was followed by Hans von Axelson, who explored digital inclusion and the practical ways accessibility is embedded into Sweden’s regulatory and service frameworks. By walking participants through procurement requirements, relay and interpretation services and real-time text systems, he demonstrated how inclusive design ensures that persons with disabilities can communicate on equal terms.

In the afternoon, Claes Hultholm and Jesper Simons provided a detailed look at Sweden’s numbering and addressing systems. They explained how national numbering plans are structured, how PTS allocates and supervises resources and why reclaiming unused numbers is essential for long-term sustainability. Their discussion also covered portability, emergency call obligations and the increasing need for expanded numbering ranges as digital services grow. Contributions from African NRAs highlighted parallels with challenges back home, including number shortages, fraud prevention and the need for more transparent allocation systems. The sessions demonstrated how user protections, digital accessibility and numbering frameworks collectively shape secure, inclusive and well-functioning communications markets.

Day 5: Future regulatory issues, spectrum, and project management

The week will conclude with a forward-looking agenda curated by PTS and SPIDER, focusing on future regulatory trends, spectrum management, and advanced project management. Bo Andersson will open the day by exploring the policy issues regulators must prepare for in the coming decade. Amela Hatibovic, Gustav Lenninger, and Fredrik Johansson will lead Spectrum Management. This session aims to equip NRAs with practical insights into European spectrum allocation models. 

SPIDER’s Alexandra Högberg & Malena Liedholm Ndounou will also deliver a hands-on workshop to refine the cohort’s Change Initiatives, ensuring they are realistically scoped, linked to impact pathways, and supported by strong indicators. The day will close with a cohort evaluation and a cultural visit to Stockholm’s Royal Palace, an opportunity to reflect on learning, celebrate progress, and strengthen relationships before Week 2.

A strong start to a transformative cycle

Week 1 set a powerful foundation for the Seventh iPRIS Cohort, combining peer learning, European regulatory insights, and the practical shaping of Change Initiatives that respond directly to national needs. The balanced mix of technical sessions, legal frameworks, project management guidance, and cross-continental collaboration reflects iPRIS’s core mission: strengthening regulatory institutions and accelerating Africa’s digital transformation. As this cycle continues into Weeks 2 and 3, the cohort carries forward a shared commitment to building inclusive, secure, resilient digital ecosystems across the continent.

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).

The iPRIS project turns two this November! The seventh iPRIS cohort will mark a significant milestone in the peer-to-peer capacity-building programme targeting telecom regulators across 43 countries.

This cohort will meet in Stockholm, Sweden, from November 16 to December 3, 2025, for their first phase in the project. The delegates will include telecom regulators from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, The Gambia, and Sweden. They will also be joined by other African ICT experts from regional regulatory organisations (RROs): the East African Communications Organisation (EACO), the Communications Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa (CRASA), and the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), who will share lessons from regional cooperation frameworks. All these participants will collaborate and engage in meaningful discussions across the three weeks to improve institutional capacity, regulatory cooperation, and inclusive digital development. 

Two years of collaboration and growth

Since its inception in November 2023, the iPRIS programme has evolved into a dynamic platform for peer learning and regional cooperation. To date, it has supported over 120 telecom regulators across 31 African countries, advancing inclusive, evidence-based approaches to ICT policy and regulation.

So far, iPRIS has engaged 31 NRAs across Sub-Saharan Africa, including:
Benin, Burundi, Cameroun, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Equatorial Guinea.

The incoming countries joining the seventh cohort will bring this number to 32 countries, reflecting the programme’s expanding footprint and its growing community of regulators committed to strengthening Africa’s digital future. Through its collaborative model, iPRIS has engaged more than 200 telecom experts from Africa and Europe, fostering continuous exchange between National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs), Regional Regulatory Organisations (RROs), and European partners. This growing network continues to strengthen institutional leadership, improve policy coherence, and bridge regional divides in digital governance. Each cohort contributes to a broader ecosystem of knowledge, where African regulators share best practices, pilot reforms, and build sustainable partnerships that collectively accelerate the continent’s digital transformation.

Below is a snapshot of some of the telecom experts and regulators that have been part of the journey so far

Progress within the region

The impact is already visible. In Tanzania, regulators pioneered Direct-to-Mobile Satellite Guidelines, extending connectivity to remote areas. In Mozambique, a Change Initiative grew into a national roaming regulation that allows rural families to remain connected even when one network fails. In Mauritius, regulators are safeguarding the digital ecosystem with new Cybersecurity Guidelines, strengthening trust in online platforms, and preparing for a 5G-driven future. Uganda has stepped onto the global stage by hosting the ITU Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR 2024), bringing 900 delegates to Kampala and demonstrating Sub-Saharan Africa’s leadership in digital governance.

These milestones are the result of collaborative efforts across governments, regulators, development partners, and regional bodies. iPRIS is proud to have contributed as part of this wider community, driving digital transformation.

Implementation of the ECOWAS regional free roaming regulation

At WATRA, a number of initiatives are ongoing, most of which have yielded results towards providing meaningful connectivity in the sub-region, and some of these initiatives include;

• Supporting the Implementation of the ECOWAS Regional Free Roaming Regulation, which so far has provided affordable communication during migration within and across 9 West African nations with more progress to be made with the expected support from Workstream 2 of the iPRIS program;
• The advent of Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) operations led to the development of an NGSO Framework at the regional (WATRA) level, which provides a guide to Regulators on how to successfully engage the NGSO operators and leverage their services to promote increased coverage and connectivity, especially in the underserved and unserved areas within the region.

WATRA is also proud to play an active role in achieving the Digital Transformation Strategy (DTS) 2020 – 2030 for Africa, ensuring meaningful connectivity across all levels of the continent from the first to the last mile. Through the iPRIS project as well, various initiatives have been developed to promote connectivity across the sub-region, tackling critical areas of the telecommunications sector, including spectrum management and 5G deployment. With other key collaborations with the ITU, Smart Africa, and other development partners, WATRA is making strides towards ensuring meaningful connectivity across West Africa and Africa at large.

Access to 5G now reaches half the globe, but millions remain disconnected

According to the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025 — marking the tenth annual stocktake of global progress toward the 2030 Agenda — the world stands at a critical juncture. With only five years left to achieve the SDGs, the report delivers a stark assessment: while millions of lives have improved, the pace of change remains insufficient to meet all 17 Goals by 2030. The report underscores that the Goals remain within reach only if action accelerates now. Across the world, young people, communities, civil society, and local leaders are driving efforts to deliver on the SDG promise. Connectivity is a key part of this global push. Although 5G coverage expanded to reach 51% of the world’s population by 2024, just five years after its commercial debut, progress remains deeply uneven. Eighty-four per cent of people in high-income countries have access to 5G, compared with only 4 per cent in low-income nations.

Watch the video below to  learn more as Mugisha Bisanda, the Chief Technology Officer at Ericsson Tanzania, explores how operators can invest in fixed wireless access to expand 5G coverage to homes and businesses: 

Where 5G is unavailable, 4G remains a vital alternative, covering 92% of the global population. Yet in low-income countries, 4G reaches just 52%, leaving 3G as the primary means of Internet access for many. Alarmingly, 4% of the world’s population remains entirely beyond mobile broadband coverage, with the largest gaps in Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand), where 24% have no access at all. The world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) face similar challenges — 15% and 14% of their populations, respectively, lack mobile broadband access. These disparities highlight the urgent need for inclusive digital transformation and targeted investment to ensure that no one — or community — is left behind in the digital age.

Highlights: A three-week peer-learning journey

This incoming phase offers attending participants a comprehensive mix of expert-led sessions, collaborative project work, and field visits that connect theory with practical insights. The discussions will revolve around these components:

• Joint European Offer sessions conducted by PTS experts and telecom professionals from other partners on such matters as broadband rollout, spectrum allocation, secure communications, institutional and legal framework, future regulatory issues, competition control, and numbering and addressing. Digital inclusion discussions are among the other relevant sessions held.
• Project management, Beyond Universal Access, and MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) discussions conducted by SPIDER to enhance the implementation of Change Initiatives at the national level.
• Visits to PTS headquarters, Stockholm University, Ericsson, and Telia, where participants are shown models of innovation and governance that are pro-consumer and, at the same time, enable growth.
• A network dinner at the Vasa Museum has been planned to facilitate cooperation and cultural exchange.

Throughout the period, each NRA will continue to improve its Change Initiative, a national reform plan aimed at strengthening institutional performance and making the regulatory environment sustainable and inclusive.

Read about the iPRIS sixth cohort sessions in Luxembourg here

Strengthening impact beyond knowledge exchange

As iPRIS turns two, its growing network of alumni and active cohorts reflects the programme’s sustained commitment to strengthening ICT regulation across Africa. To date, three cohorts have completed the iPRIS cycle, welcoming them into the alumni network, representing Anglophone and Francophone regions. The seventh cohort, meeting in Stockholm soon, continues this legacy of collaboration and peer learning. The number of Francophone cohorts that have participated in the iPRIS project are two, with more expected to join in the coming years. Claudio Bacigalupi, Head of Cooperation at European Union Delegation to Zambia and COMESA, highlighted the importance of collaboration in achieving regional harmonisation and creating a more conducive environment for innovation, investment, and cross-border digital services.

In 2026, iPRIS will expand its reach further through dedicated Portuguese-speaking rounds, designed to strengthen regional inclusion and linguistic diversity in digital policy dialogue. By the end of the project in 2028, iPRIS is expected to have trained over 300 African telecom regulators from 43 National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) in designing and implementing evidence-based reforms for sustainable digital development.

Read about the first Francophone cohort here

As this incoming cohort’s convening concludes in early December, participants will present their “Way Forward” project plans — strategic roadmaps for implementing regulatory reforms in their respective countries — supported by their RROs. This collaboration between African and European telecom experts continues to demonstrate how shared learning and partnership can strengthen institutional capacity, advance digital inclusion, and accelerate Africa’s transformation toward a connected, sustainable future.

Follow the journey of the seventh iPRIS cohort and their Change Initiatives on the iPRIS LinkedIn page as they translate global insights into national impact across Africa’s digital landscape.

 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).