Mr Ernest Mafuta is the current chair of Affordable Internet Access SIG championing affordability of

internet Access solutions and connectivity worldwide. Previously he served as Head Technical

Development commission for the internet society Youth Special Interest Group representing a diverse

coalition of youth voices in Internet Governance and ICT Policy around the world.

Mr Mafuta is a Strategic ICT Leader with more than 9 years’ experience in Standardization,

Telecommunications Regulation, Broadband internet access, Digital Inclusion and quality of service.

He possesses extensive training and experience in equipment conformity assessments, Homologation

of ICT Products in over 180 countries globally as a consultant.

On an international level, he is a global member of the Internet Society, Universal Acceptance Steering

Group on Technology (UASG) as well as an active participant in the International Telecommunication

Union, ITU-T Focus Group on Testbeds Federations for 5G- IMT-2020 and beyond. He is also an avid

technical volunteer for the United Nations' Internet Governance Forum (IGF), Under the United

Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).

At the national level he is an expert member of the Zambia ICT Regulatory Authority’s Quality of

Service and Quality of Experience Standardization Committee (Technical Committee 3) which is

responsible for reviewing and adopting standards of telecommunication systems in Zambia. Ernest

has a professional and academic background in Telecommunication and information technology,

Future Broadband Internet Access, strategic aspect of Internet Governance and Innovation, and public

management and governance.