The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) have established the international advisory body to strengthen submarine cable resilience. This initiative will aim to strengthen the global communications, which carries over 99 percent of all the international data exchanges.
The newly established body comprises 40 members, including ministers and industry leaders, representing a wide range of global perspectives. It will be co-chaired by Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and Sandra Maximiano, Chair of the Board of Directors of Portugal’s National Communications Authority (ANACOM). This group is tasked with offering strategic guidance and promoting best practices within the sector.
The advisory body is set to convene at least twice a year, engaging with experts in telecommunications, digital resilience infrastructure development, infrastructure investment, and international policy to foster collaboration across the industry. The inaugural virtual meeting is scheduled for December 2024, followed by an in-person gathering at the Submarine Cable Resilience Summit in Abuja, Nigeria, in February 2025.
