Page 122 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2025

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

African ICT Ministers Unite to Safeguard AFRINIC and Africa’s Digital Sover-

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Ministers responsible for Information Regional Internet Registry (RIR). Organized Declaration on Sustaining AFRINIC’s
and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by the African Telecommunications Union Operations and Africa’s Internet Stability.
and the Digital Economy from African (ATU) under the leadership of Sid Ali Since its accreditation in 2005, AFRINIC has
countries convened virtually in Nairobi for Zerrouki, Chair of the ATU Conference of been pivotal in allocating Internet Protocol
an extraordinary high-level consultative Plenipotentiaries and Algeria’s Minister of (IP) resources—including IPv4, IPv6, and
meeting to address the ongoing legal Post and Telecommunications, the meeting Autonomous System Numbers—to ISPs,
challenges facing AFRINIC, Africa’s concluded with the adoption of a Ministerial governments, academia, and infrastructure
providers across Africa. The ongoing legal
paralysis threatens the continent’s digital
ecosystem and operational backbone. In
their declaration, the Ministers reaffirmed
their commitment to preserving AFRINIC’s
stability and continuity, underscoring its
vital role in Africa’s digital transformation
and regional internet governance autonomy.
They pledged support for an inclusive,
constructive resolution to AFRINIC’s
governance challenges, while respecting
the independence of the Mauritian judiciary.
The Ministers emphasized that AFRINIC’s
future decisions must prioritize Africa’s
collective interests through broad-based
multistakeholder dialogue.

Ofcom Publishes Proposal on Protecting Phone Users from Scam International
Calls

Ofcom has launched a proposal to numbers. One quarter (26 per cent) also abroad unless they can verify its validity.
strengthen its guidance on how telecoms said that they were likely or very likely to This follows engagement with industry on
companies should protect people in the pick up a call from an unrecognised UK how providers could best protect people
UK from international calls that imitate UK mobile number, compared to just one in from calls spoofing UK mobile numbers
mobile numbers. One way that criminal 10 (9 per cent) who would answer a call without hindering customers calling home
gangs prey on victims is by imitating - or showing an international number with an from abroad. Marina Gibbs, Ofcom’s policy
spoofing - phone numbers and callers that unrecognised country code. Last year, director for networks and communications,
potential victims might trust, such as UK Ofcom strengthened its industry guidance said: “Customers endure a barrage of scam
mobile numbers, so their calls are more in this area, telling phone companies to calls, and when people get caught out, the
likely to be answered. Fraudsters based identify and block calls from abroad that consequences can be devastating. It can
abroad often spoof UK numbers, knowing falsely display a UK landline number as happen to anyone, with criminal gangs in
people are more likely to pick up these the caller ID, except in a limited number other countries trying to exploit people
calls than if an unknown international of legitimate use cases. Currently, there when their guard is down. “The work we’ve
number is displayed. Ofcom research is an exemption from blocking calls from collectively already done has led to a million
reveals that, in February 2025, two in five abroad that display a UK mobile caller ID. calls a day being blocked, but there’s no
phone users (42 per cent) said that they This is to allow people who are roaming silver bullet, and we’re always looking for
received a suspicious call in the last three abroad to display their number to family new ways to shore up our defences in the
months. The regulator also found that and friends when they call them. Today, fight against fraud. These new measures
people are more trusting of calls coming Ofcom is proposing telecoms companies would provide further protection for people
from UK mobile numbers (+447) than they should withhold the caller ID of calls that in the UK.”
are of calls from withheld or international appear to come from a UK mobile roaming

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