The Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI), and the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) have formalized a pivotal partnership that seeks to amplify the Global South’s presence in international telecom and ICT standardization, according to the information made available to The Bureau News.
Signed during the TSDSI Tech Deep Dive (TTDD) 2025 Conference held in New Delhi, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aims to strengthen collaborative innovation between India and Africa in next-generation technologies such as 5G, 6G, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), and rural broadband development.
“Africa and India share not only development aspirations but also an urgent need to be more meaningfully represented in the global standards-setting scene,”
said John Omo, Secretary General of the ATU.
“This MoU offers us a necessary opportunity to share technical leadership in areas that can benefit both Africa and India.”
The partnership directly addresses what both bodies describe as a long-standing “standardization gap” — the structural imbalance that has historically kept developing nations from shaping the technical rules governing telecommunications.
India’s TSDSI has previously contributed significantly to international standards, most notably through its 5Gi specification designed to extend rural 5G coverage. The ATU, which represents the ICT interests of the African Union, has also coordinated common African positions in key global forums including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
“This collaboration between TSDSI and ATU is a natural alliance,”
stated A.K. Mittal, Director General of TSDSI.
“It will help uncover shared needs and priorities for both African and Indian end-users, policymakers, and telecom providers. Together, we can push for standards that truly reflect our environments.”
With global dialogues already underway on 5G-Advanced and 6G architecture, both institutions have pledged to bring regional realities into international technical discussions. This includes embedding climate resilience, equitable coverage, and the use of AI in telecommunications infrastructure design.
The agreement also outlines coordinated participation in global standardization forums, spectrum and radiocommunication governance, and the implementation of joint capacity-building initiatives.
By leveraging their combined institutional strength, TSDSI and ATU aim to ensure that the evolving telecom and digital infrastructure landscape serves as a vehicle for inclusive development.