By Sifiso Nhlabatsi
MBABANE – Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini has appealed to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to support efforts aimed at improving affordable access to undersea cable connectivity for landlocked countries such as Eswatini.
The appeal was made during a bilateral meeting with ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin at the ITU headquarters in Geneva on Saturday, where discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in advancing Eswatini’s digital transformation agenda.
According to information released by government, the Prime Minister said affordable access to undersea cable infrastructure remains critical for countries without direct access to the sea, as it would help improve digital connectivity, reduce the cost of internet services and support the country’s ongoing digital transformation initiatives.
During the meeting, Dlamini also requested the ITU’s continued support for the implementation of the GovStack programme, which is designed to help governments develop scalable and open-source digital public services.
The Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the ITU’s longstanding partnership with Eswatini, saying the organisation had played a significant role in laying the foundation for the country’s digital development.
He acknowledged the ITU’s contribution to the formulation of Eswatini’s National Information and Communication Infrastructure (NICI) Policy through the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) programme. The policy later paved the way for the establishment of the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology as well as the Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM).
Dlamini further commended the ITU for providing technical guidance during the implementation of Eswatini’s Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) migration programme and for funding the development of the National Cybersecurity Strategy.
Government also noted that the ITU recently trained local application developers on GovStack systems, helping build national capacity to develop digital government applications using scalable open-source technologies.
The Prime Minister further highlighted the organisation’s support in securing satellite orbital resources for Eswatini through decisions taken during the World Radiocommunication Conference 2023, where the Kingdom was among African countries allocated orbital resources to strengthen future telecommunications capabilities.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s requests, Bogdan-Martin reaffirmed the ITU’s commitment to supporting Eswatini’s digital development priorities and pledged the organisation’s continued partnership as the Kingdom advances its digital transformation agenda.
