The African Telecommunications Union (ATU) is engaging regulators, operators and technology providers on spectrum solutions as the continent prepares its common positions ahead of the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27).
The push came during the 11th Africa Spectrum Management Conference and the Third African Preparatory Meeting for WRC-27 (APM27-3), held in Tunis, Tunisia, from the 7th to the 11th of September, 2026. Hosted by Tunisia’s National Frequency Agency (ANF) in partnership with the ATU and the Global Spectrum Series, the meetings brought together African administrations, regulators and industry stakeholders to align national and sub-regional positions and develop Common African Proposals for the global conference.
ATU Secretary-General John Omo used the platform to call for stronger alignment among African administrations on spectrum policy, stressing that coordinated positions will be critical when WRC-27 convenes in Shanghai, China, from the 18th of October to the 12th of November, 2027. He said the outcomes of the Tunis discussions would feed directly into the regional process for developing coordinated African positions on the international use of radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits.
Industry players were actively involved. GSMA, thinkRF, FOCUSTEL, and other spectrum and testing firms participated in the conference and associated forums, sharing perspectives on mid-band roadmaps, spectrum valuation models, non-terrestrial network integration, 5G/6G readiness and interference management. The ATU framed this engagement as essential to ensuring that Africa’s spectrum strategies reflect both regulatory priorities and real-world deployment needs.
A major theme was the call for African administrations to work together to secure the allocation of the 600 MHz spectrum band for mobile services across the continent. Dr. Bashir Gwandu, speaking at the annual Spectrum Management Conference, renewed his appeal for African telecommunications experts and spectrum administrators to present a united front on this issue at WRC-27.
Delegations also reviewed updates from ITU study groups, discussed spectrum management challenges and coordinated strategies on agenda items covering mobile broadband, satellite services, radio astronomy and emerging technologies. Angola, among others, sent working groups to examine WRC-27 agenda items with the objective of aligning national and sub-regional positions ahead of the global conference.
The Tunis meetings are part of a structured ATU-led process to consolidate African views before WRC-27. With regional preparatory groups such as ATU, ASMG, CEPT, CITEL, APT and RCC finalising their positions through late 2026 and into 2027, Africa’s ability to agree on common proposals will influence how much spectrum it secures for mobile, broadband and satellite services, and how well those allocations support the continent’s digital connectivity goals.itu+2
For the ATU, engaging industry alongside regulators is a way to ensure that Africa’s WRC-27 positions are technically sound, commercially realistic and aligned with the infrastructure and investment plans needed to close the connectivity gap.
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