Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI) and the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) have signed a landmark memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at deepening South-South cooperation in telecommunications and information and communication technology (ICT0 standardisation. The agreement was formalised during TSDSI’s flagship event, the TSDSI Tech Deep Dive (TTDD) 2025 Conference held in New Delhi.
The strategic partnership sets the stage for collaborative innovation and technical coordination on global standards, especially for advancements in 5G, 6G, artificial intelligence (AI), internet of thing (IoT), and rural broadband. It is poised to strengthen the Global South’s voice in international standards bodies such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and to address the long-standing “standardisation gap” that has limited the effective participation of developing countries.
Historically, global standardisation has been steered predominantly by advanced economies. This MoU targets to shift the situation and enable Africa and India to co-develop technical contributions rooted in the realities of their markets. India’s TSDSI has already made significant contributions – including the 5Gi specification aimed at improving rural 5G coverage. The ATU, as the ITU regional telecommunications body for Africa and the ICT arm of the African Union, has similarly coordinated common African positions at the ITU.
The urgency of this cooperation is emphasised by global connectivity challenges. Both TSDSI and ATU have made inclusive connectivity a priority.
With 5G-Advanced and 6G discussions already underway in standardisation forums, the TSDSI–ATU alliance is well-positioned to influence the design of next-generation networks. In this regard, the partners intend to collaborate and build synergies in telecommunications and ICT standardisation, radiocommunication, and the inclusion of regional requirements into the global standards development processes.
Significantly, the MoU also provides a framework for coordination at global standards, radio, and ICT development forums, and the implementation of joint capacity building initiatives in these areas. The two bodies are committed to leveraging their respective expertise and institutional platforms to ensure that the evolving technology landscape reflects the needs and aspirations of their regions.
Commenting on the collaboration, John Omo, secretary general, ATU, said, “Africa and India share not only development aspirations but also an urgent need to be more meaningfully represented in the global standards-setting scene. This MoU offers us a necessary opportunity to share technical leadership in areas that can benefit both Africa and India.”
Meanwhile, A K Mittal, director general, TSDSI, said, “The inclusion of needs such as coverage, ubiquitous connectivity, sustainability and AI assisted networks and communication in the IMT2030 Framework, is indicative of how telecom technologies are expected to be developed and deployed for digital public good especially in rural and remote areas. This collaboration between TSDSI and ATU is a natural alliance which will help discover common requirements and interests of end-users, service providers and policy makers from India and Africa, thus strengthening their voice on the global standards arena”.
