Connecting the world and beyond

Joint ITU-ATU Workshop on "Economic impact of OTTs & implementation of a common emergency number in Africa"

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in joint collaboaration with the African Telecommunication Union, organised a workshop on "Economic Impact of OTTs & Implementation of a Common Emergency Number in Africa", on the 14 (afternoon) to 15 (morning) April 2026 in Accra, Ghana. The workshop was kindly hosted by the Government of Ghana, and took place at the Palms Airport City Hotel in Accra.

The workshop opened at 1400 hours on 14 April 2026, with registration commenced at 1300 hours on the same day, at the venue. It was conducted in English with French interpretation. Remote participation was provided.

The workshop was collocated with the 1st African Preparatory Meeting for WTSA-28 (APM-1) , which took place from 13 to 14 April 2026, the ITU-T Study Group 2 Regional Group for Africa (SG2RG-AFR) , took place on 15 April 2026, and the ITU-T Study Group 3 Regional Group for Africa (SG3RG-AFR) , also took place from 16 to 17 April 2026.

The workshop aimed to address WTSA Resolution 29, Alternative calling procedures on international telecommunication networks, WTSA Resolution 100, A common emergency number for Africa, as well as WTSA-24 Action 4, requested that the TSB convene workshops bringing together stakeholders in the OTT ecosystem. The topics discussed at the workshop align with related ongoing work in ITU-T Study Group 2 and ITU-T Study Group 3. 

Target Audience
The workshop targeted representatives from national regulatory authorities, ministries, service and solution providers and vendors, academia, R&D institutions, consumer rights groups, and other organizations working on matters relating to telecommunications. Participation was free of charge and open to all interested stakeholders, including ITU Member States, Sector Members, Associates and Academic Institutions and to any individual from a country that is a member of ITU.