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Certificate in Telecommunications Policy, Regulation and Management (TPRM)

The LINK Centre's Certificate in Telecommunications Policy, Regulation and Management (TPRM) equips participants with the professional development necessary to engage with the full range of policy and regulation matters currently at play in African national and regional information and communications technology (ICT) sectors.

This course is designed to address the constantly-evolving issues and concerns inherent in ICT deployment on the African continent. Changes are driven by rapidly-growing demand for Internet-based content, and therefore for broadband access, in the economy, in schools and universities, in urban and rural areas, and at household level. A paradigm shift in policy and regulation is therefore needed to promote e-development in 21st century African economies. Changes are occurring in the broadband ecosystem and in electronic communications markets, including in the undersea cable market and markets for spectrum. Globalisation of knowledge and convergence in markets have intensified the need to remain informed of current developments, trends, and practices in policy and regulation.

Who should attend?
Decision-makers, professionals and researchers in the electronic communications and ICT sector should attend this course in order to enhance their understanding of emerging trends in the ICT sector, and their understanding of the effects of ICT sector development on other economic and social sectors. Potential participants include individuals working in government policy departments, national and regional regulatory authorities, regulatory departments of ICT sector operators, lawyers, consultants, journalists, union officials, and NGOs involved in the sector.

Objectives
By the end of the course, the successful participant will be able to:

  • understand the essential drivers of sector reform locally and internationally, including the impacts of globalisation and convergence;
  • describe the structure and process of policy formulation, regulatory practice, and licensing procedures in various African countries;
  • demonstrate an understanding of the relevant theory that applies to the policy and regulatory environment for the electronic communications and ICT sector, including the broadcasting and digital media sector;
  • demonstrate an understanding of ICT innovation and the implications for policy and regulation that arise from such innovation; and
  • critically analyse the electronic communications and ICT environment in any chosen African country with reference to theories, international models and best practice approaches.

Content
A Certificate in Telecommunications Policy, Regulation and Management, aligned to NQF Level 6, is awarded to candidates who attend a total of three modules and who successfully complete the required individual and group assignments.

Note re: course NQF level: The NQF level cited above is from the South African National Qualifications Framework. According to the requirements of the South African Council on Higher Education (CHE), short courses are not accredited at NQF levels. However, the LINK Centre aligns each of its courses to a particular NQF level -- as a means to guide the course's level of difficulty and level of assessment.

Module 1: Digital technologies and the evolution of African markets for digital infrastructure and services

  • The innovation cycle
  • Technology transition to smart environments: Internet of Things (IoT) and digital transformation – towards the data-driven society
  • Governance in a digital age: Contours and anatomy of a digital world
  • The evolution of advanced electronic communication technologies and networks
  • Evolution of mobile broadband technologies: From 1G to 5G and now 6G
  • Broadcast engineering, research and development
  • Broadcasting technologies, market trends, developments and drivers
  • Digital transitions in postal services markets
  • Mobile financial services – the foundation for fintech in developing countries
  • Digital technologies and markets enabling the digital economy
  • Cloud computing, privacy and security in African cyberspace
  • Future-oriented spectrum management: Economic goals and technological needs

Module 2: Global trends in ICT governance for African cyberspace: Trends, organisations and developments

  • Globalisation, and digital transformation of economic and social sectors in the knowledge economy
  • Digital government and transitions to digital economies in Africa
  • Market structures and regulatory reform: Economic characteristics, structure and significance of network industries
  • Global trends in regulatory reform: Privatisation, competition and regulation
  • Emerging areas for regulatory attention: Internet of Things (IoT), data protection and cybersecurity
  • Global and regional ICT institutions, sector regulators, competition authorities and network governance
  • Digital technologies and socio-economic development:  Concepts, contemporary issues and initiatives
  • From the digital divide to universal access and service
  • Managing regulatory institutions: Strategy, structure, governance and performance

Module 3: Policy, law and regulation for the electronic communications and digital services ecosystem

  • Constitutional and legal frameworks for a digital economy (selected SADC and East African countries)
  • Policy, law and regulation for telecoms markets: Focus on competition and the practice of concurrent jurisdiction
  • Telecommunications: Overview of law and regulation applicable to telecommunications markets: SADC perspective
  • Model laws for e-commerce and cyber law
  • Broadcasting and digital media: Overview of policy, law and regulation for selected SADC countries
  • Ethical endgame visualisation
  • Telecoms and general regulation under COVID-19 conditions
  • Data protection law, cybercrime law, and regulation: EU GDPR, AU Convention on Cybersecurity and Data Protection, COVID-19 and data protection in African countries, SADC Model Law on Cybersecurity, selected legislation for SADC and East African countries
  • Strategies for the digital economy in Africa (African Continental Free Trade Area and AUDA-NEPAD case studies)

2024 course delivery mode
Hybrid (in-person or online interactive) 

2024 course delivery dates
8-12 July
12-16 August
23-27 September

2024 course fees
ZAR47,700 (all three modules)
ZAR23,850 (single module)

A small fee discount is available for bulk enrolments (i.e., please enquire for enrolments of three persons or more per organisation).

Course Administrator
Nokhanyo Yolwa, Short Course and Degree Coordinator, LINK Centre, nokhanyo.yolwa@wits.ac.za,  tel: +27-11-717-4193

Course Convenor
Dr. Luci Abrahams, Director, LINK Centre, witslinkcentre20@gmail.com, cc: nokhanyo.yolwa@wits.ac.za 

Application for registration
To apply for registration in one or all of the three modules in the 2024 offering of this course, please complete this online form.

 

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