World Courant
In 2017, ECOWAS launched Roaming rules geared toward standardizing roaming actions throughout the neighborhood’s public cell communications networks. These rules had been meant to remove roaming surcharges and simplify cross-border use of cell phones. The last word aim was to streamline cell communications throughout the area. Nevertheless, implementation has confronted a number of challenges, together with excessive name termination charges, a scarcity of direct connections between telecom operators and fraud.
Lately, telecommunications regulators in Liberia and Ghana had been completely happy that they’d completed so began discussions to determine free roaming companies between the 2 international locations. Based on the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), this is a vital step to allow cell phone customers to get pleasure from native charges whereas visiting each international locations. This transfer builds on an earlier directive that the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) issued in 2020 to Liberian cell community operators to stick to ECOWAS rules. Regardless of this steering, progress has been sluggish because of restricted bilateral agreements and a scarcity of momentum in activation efforts. Nevertheless, this new initiative with Ghana seeks to beat these hurdles and advance the targets set by ECOWAS.
The first aim of the free-roaming initiative is to facilitate seamless cross-border communications by permitting cell phone customers to pay native charges for cross-border communications. Nevertheless, for each international locations, introducing a free-roaming scheme wouldn’t solely cut back communication prices for customers but additionally enhance financial cooperation. In 2020 cell applied sciences and companies generated greater than 130 billion {dollars} in added financial worth (8% of GDP) in Sub-Saharan Africa. Research of the Worldwide Telecommunications Union (ITU) to disclose that lowering roaming prices can enhance total cell utilization, increase financial exercise and enhance productiveness. For instance within the European Union (EU), the abolition of roaming costs has contributed to a 17% enhance in cross-border enterprise exercise. Moreover, improved connectivity can facilitate higher entry to companies corresponding to cell banking, e-learning and telemedicine, that are essential for socio-economic growth in West Africa.
At the moment, a good portion of subscribers depend on internet-based purposes corresponding to WhatsApp, Messenger and Telegram for cross-border communications between Liberia and Ghana. A World System for Cellular Communications Affiliation (GSMA), report reveals that 58% of cell customers in West Africa use internet-based apps for worldwide communications. These apps require customers to have smartphones and lively knowledge plans. Vacationers typically resort to purchasing native SIM playing cards upon arrival to keep away from excessive roaming costs, buying voice credit for conventional calls or activating knowledge for web calls. Based on the EUthe discount in roaming prices within the European Union has led to a 457% enhance in knowledge use amongst vacationers. Nevertheless, if Liberia and Ghana attain an settlement, industrial options from telecom suppliers might be wanted to allow cost-effective implementation. This is able to contain adapting present infrastructure and pricing fashions to adjust to ECOWAS tips.
In current months, extra ECOWAS member states have taken steps in the direction of comparable agreements. In April 2024, Ghana and Benin agreed to implement free roaming companies, with the intention of lowering communication prices for vacationers. The identical month noticed Niger and Togo announce plans for a bilateral free-roaming partnership. Additionally in October 2023, Benin and Togo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to allow free worldwide cell community roaming. The Government Secretary of the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Meeting (WATRA), Aliyu Yusuf Aboki, famous that 13 ECOWAS member states have amended their telecom legal guidelines to exempt roaming surcharges. Cellular applied sciences and companies are projected to contribute $155 billion to Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP by 2025. As extra ECOWAS member states embrace free-roaming, the area will profit from improved integration, elevated financial actions and improved entry to important companies.
A take a look at Liberia and Ghana’s plan to implement free roaming to scale back name prices
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