The National Communications Authority (NCA) has held Ghana’s second and final National Preparatory Meeting as part of preparations for the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23).
The event, which is being held at the NCA Tower in Accra from 26th to 29th June, 2023, was being attended by stakeholders from industry and academia with the view to reaching a unified position for the country before the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Telecommunications Union (ATU) preparatory meetings scheduled for July and August 2023 respectively.
Held every three (3) to four (4) years, the WRC is organised by the Radiocommunication
Bureau of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R) to review and if necessary,
revise the Radio Regulations and the international treaty governing the use of radio-frequency spectrum.
Other areas such as the geostationary satellite and non-geostationary satellite orbits are all considered during such meetings.
In his opening address, Prof. Ezer Osei Yeboah-Boateng, Deputy Director-General (Technical Operations) at NCA, highlighted the preparations made by Ghana, saying that the first preparatory meeting held virtually was to introduce stakeholders to the WRC-23
agenda. It also presented the studies conducted by the responsible ITU-R study groups
whose findings have been consolidated into the Conference Preparatory Meeting (CPM)
Report.
Prof. Yeboah-Boateng outlined the objectives of Ghana’s Second National Preparatory
Meeting which included consolidating the country’s positions on various WRC-23 agenda
items.
The NCA also prepared the various guidelines for participants to have detail conversations which assisted stakeholders in agreeing on positions that will make Ghana’s inputs into the ECOWAS and ATU preparatory meetings cogent.
The NCA also used the opportunity to leverage the knowledge and expertise of the Ghanaian Communications Industry players to ensure a clear understanding of consumer interests, Operator investments, and the overall development of the communications sector.
At the meeting, Bernard Amissah-Ocran, Deputy Director, Engineering Division at NCA, opened the floor for presentations and discussions on the WRC-23 agenda, highlighting the significance of stakeholder opinions in informing Ghana’s position for WRC-23 and urged participants to engage in constructive discussions during the three-day meeting.
Mr. Amissah-Ocran also noted that the decisions and recommendations made at the meeting will contribute to Ghana’s proposals for the final preparatory meetings of the ECOWAS and the ATU in July and August, respectively.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Communications and
Digitalisation, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT)
Operators, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Ghana Chamber of Telecoms, Broadcasting
Service Providers and some Universities in the country.
Topics outlined to be discussed during the three-day meeting include issues on Mobile, Fixed, Broadcasting, Aeronautical, Maritime and Satellite Services.
