[DIGITAL Business Africa] – Faced with the rapid rise of digital platforms, artificial intelligence, cross-border services, and new cyber risks, digital regulators are being called upon to rethink their approaches. Gathered from May 12 to 15, 2026 in Ankara, Türkiye, during the Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-26), experts from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) adopted a new strategic framework aimed at helping regulatory authorities better govern digital markets.
Entitled “Regulatory Governance Essentials: The new core kit regulators need to make digital markets deliver”, the “GSR-26 Best Practice Guidelines” document identifies seven essential pillars for building regulation that is more effective, more agile, and more oriented toward the public interest.
At a time when digital ecosystems are becoming increasingly complex, the ITU believes that traditional regulatory approaches are no longer sufficient. Regulators must now be able to anticipate, measure, adapt, and coordinate their actions in an environment shaped by interconnected platforms, artificial intelligence, critical infrastructures, and global digital flows.
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Define Clear Public-Interest Objectives
For the ITU, digital regulation must first be based on a clear vision of the expected outcomes. Regulators are encouraged to identify a limited number of priority objectives that can serve as a compass for all regulatory decisions.
These priorities notably include meaningful connectivity, service accessibility, reliability, network resilience, consumer protection, and healthy competition in digital markets. The idea is to avoid a dispersion of objectives and instead focus public action on measurable and coherent outcomes over time.
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Tailor Obligations According to Risks and Market Actors
The ITU also recommends proportionate and risk-based regulation. Not all digital actors should be subject to the same regulatory obligations.
Regulators are encouraged to differentiate requirements according to the role performed in the digital value chain, market position, or the level of risk associated with a specific activity. This approach aims to avoid excessive regulatory burdens on smaller players while strengthening oversight over companies with significant systemic impact.
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Build Regulation Based on Credible Data
The third pillar highlights the need for reliable indicators and a robust system for monitoring digital markets.
The ITU recommends the establishment of standardized data collection mechanisms, regulatory dashboards, and internal evaluation functions capable of genuinely measuring market performance. Data should enable regulators to detect risks, assess the impact of public policies, and strengthen transparency toward citizens.
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Use Incentives Rather Than Systematic Constraints
Rather than relying solely on sanctions or rigid obligations, the ITU advocates for incentive-based regulation.
Authorities are encouraged to create favorable conditions for investment, innovation, and the deployment of digital infrastructure. This may include adaptive licensing, infrastructure-sharing mechanisms, temporary reductions in regulatory fees, or fast-track procedures for strategic investments.
According to the ITU, effective regulation should encourage market actors to voluntarily adopt behaviors aligned with the public interest, thereby reducing the need for heavy coercive measures.
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Establish Gradual and Predictable Supervision
The document also recommends a progressive approach to regulatory supervision.
Before imposing strong sanctions, regulators should prioritize dialogue, corrective mechanisms, and support measures. Escalation procedures must be transparent, predictable, and evidence-based.
The ITU also stresses the importance of introducing “de-escalation” mechanisms, enabling oversight measures to be eased when risks decline or when market actors comply with regulatory requirements.
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Make Regulatory Learning a Permanent Practice
In a rapidly evolving technological environment, the ITU believes regulators must continuously learn and adapt.
The report therefore encourages the use of tools such as regulatory sandboxes, pilot projects, phased deployments, and structured public consultations. Authorities must be able to test, adjust, and improve their rules as markets evolve.
The ITU also recommends the use of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to strengthen supervision, risk analysis, and market monitoring capabilities.
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Strengthen National and International Regulatory Coherence
Finally, the ITU calls for stronger coordination among public institutions and between countries.
Because digital services are inherently cross-border, fragmented regulations can create inconsistencies, duplication, and gaps in oversight. The organization therefore recommends regular cooperation mechanisms among national authorities, as well as international collaboration frameworks on emerging digital issues.
This regulatory coherence should notably concern common definitions, evidentiary standards, quality-of-service metrics, and approaches related to systemic risks and consumer protection.
A New Roadmap for African Regulators?
For many African countries engaged in digital transformation, these recommendations could serve as a genuine roadmap.
At a time when several African states are accelerating the digitalization of public services, the development of artificial intelligence, the expansion of fintechs, and the modernization of telecom infrastructure, the ability of regulators to keep pace has become a strategic issue.
These ITU guidelines also come amid growing debates across the continent on digital sovereignty, cybersecurity, personal data protection, and the regulation of global digital platforms.
In the document, Dr. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), emphasizes that these guidelines constitute “an important practical resource for regulators”, capable of transforming “broad policy ambitions into clear and actionable governance tools.”
For his part, Mr. Ömer Abdullah Karagözoğlu, Chair of GSR-26 and Chairman of the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) of Türkiye, believes these recommendations reflect “the collective wisdom and practical experience of regulators” so that “digital markets effectively serve the public interest.”
By Digital Business Africa
