The World WLAN Application Alliance (WAA) and the SAMENA Telecommunications Council have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to work jointly on accelerating broadband development in the emerging markets including in the South Asia – Middle East – North Africa (SA-ME-NA) region. This collaboration entails strengthening wireless broadband development, particularly through addressing technical and policy-related challenges in WLAN technologies.
WAA, a global non-profit dedicated to improving Wi-Fi technology, performance standards, and international certification, brings its global expertise to the partnership. The SAMENA Council, an industry body representing telcos and techos as well as digital ecosystem partners across South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, focuses on digital development and policy advocacy to support sustainable economic growth in the region.
Through this MoU, the two organizations plan to share knowledge, organize industry events, support common standards, and improve Wi-Fi testing and certification processes by leveraging each other’s reach and strengths. These steps are expected to help operators and service providers, including the including the SAMENA Council Members, deliver more reliable and higher-quality broadband services in both urban and underserved areas.
The collaboration covers a wide range of joint activities, including participation in each other’s events, coordination on industry research, exchange of practical experience, and cooperation on emerging technology use cases such as smart cities, IoT applications, and future wireless systems like 6G. The agreement also includes the development of pilot projects, shared publications, technical workshops, and targeted capacity-building events. These initiatives will focus on practical challenges such as network performance, regulatory compliance, and broadband expansion in underserved markets.
By combining the WAA’s technical capabilities with the SAMENA Council’s regional reach, experience and policy engagement both regionally and globally, the partnership is designed to reduce fragmentation in WLAN development and encourage more consistent and efficient rollout of broadband infrastructure. Both organizations also aim to jointly engage stakeholders across government and industry to expand the impact of their initiatives beyond national boundaries.
A spokesperson from WAA noted that this partnership represents a strong step toward creating a more unified global approach to Wi-Fi development and certification. Secretary General of the WAA, Yang Tao, stated: “The collaboration with the SAMENA Council holds significant meaning. By integrating resources and strengths from both sides, we will jointly promote the establishment of international standards for the WLAN industry, the promotion of industry norms, the application of technological innovations, and market expansion, thereby contributing more substantially to the prosperous development of the global WLAN industry.”
CEO of the SAMENA Council and Board Member, Bocar BA, stated: “This collaboration agreement with the WAA is a part of the SAMENA Council’s broader strategy to support digital transformation by enabling better connectivity, enhanced end-user experience, and more inclusive broadband access across the SA-ME-NA countries. The SAMENA Council is committed to supporting the private-sector as well as growing digital economies as they strive to achieve new digital transformation milestones. For this, quality broadband access is fundamental.”
This collaboration between the WAA and the SAMENA Council will remain in effect for two years, during which both organizations anticipate working closely to represent the growing needs of the ICT Industry and making tangible progress on the WLAN front.
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Source: SAMENA Council Press release
