Telecommunications and Postal Services Minister Dr Siyabonga Cwele has been elected chairperson of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (ITSO) for the next two years.

This is the first time South Africa is chairing ITSO, which is a 150-member intergovernmental organisation that facilitates the provision of public telecommunications services, including voice, data and video on a nondiscriminatory basis.

His appointment was announced during the ITSO’s thirty-eighth Assembly of Parties, being held in Washington DC, in the US, from June 13 to 15. The South African delegation includes State-owned signal distributor Sentech CEO Mlamli Booi.

“I want to express our government’s commitment to supporting the values, mission and principles of ITSO and to supporting the nondiscriminatory access to satellite so as to ensure provision of communication services,” said Cwele.

“It is our common goal to create a stronger ITSO. During the two-year chairpersonship tenure, I will facilitate a constructive, informed and open interaction among members,” he added.

Among the priorities are strengthening partnerships with other international organisations and strategic partners to help ITSO become responsive to technological changes and new developments.

“It is important for member countries to ensure the preservation of the Common Heritage in order to advance critical social goals such as the provision of bandwidth that will enable distribution of educational content, telemedicine and other important services which are of great benefit to communities in remote and rural areas,” said Cwele.

Booi commented that the chairpersonship of ITSO will assist Sentech in the processes required for launching a satellite.

The chairpersonship further coincides with Sentech finalising its business plan and funding model for a South African-owned communication satellite by building on national capabilities and partnerships to develop technical skills within the country.

“We will have more access to resources that will give us information on satellite industry. It will open doors for us for partnerships,” he said.