Calling and sending text messages across African borders are set
to become cheaper following a decision by regional integration blocs to
abolish roaming charges.
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) are working on mechanisms that will see up to 40 African countries harmonise roaming charges across the board.
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) are working on mechanisms that will see up to 40 African countries harmonise roaming charges across the board.
This was revealed at the 10th meeting of the Ministers of the 19 Comesa countries in Lusaka.
“Although
the pricing of voice services in many African countries was becoming
competitive and comparable with the rest of the world, the cost of
broadband continued to be out of reach for most people,” said the
ministers’ report.
The Association of Regulators of
Information and Communications for Eastern and Southern Africa was asked
to conduct studies on reducing the roaming charges across Comesa
countries so that a decision can be taken at the next meeting.
At
the same time, the Ecowas resolved to abolish mobile phone roaming fees
from the beginning of 2018. The decision was reached at a meeting of
ministers in charge of ICT from the regional bloc in the Cape Verdean
capital, Praia.
The 15th meeting of the Ecowas
ministers approved the revised Draft Supplementary Act on Universal
Access and Services, along with several other documents designed to
boost the development of ICT and regional integration.
Single digital market
Africa
has one of the highest roaming fees in the world. For instance, a
Nigerian on roaming in Europe pays five times less than they would while
on roaming within the Ecowas.
The ministers said the Praia Resolution was part of the bloc’s efforts to establish a single digital market.
Zambia,
Bostwana, and Zimbabwe — have also agreed on a pilot project to lower
roaming charges. All the mobile operators in the member states have
commenced the necessary arrangements to implement their agreed roaming
agreements.
The industry telecommunication regulator
said the wholesale and retail tariffs will be reduced annually in line
with a glide path approved by ICT ministers from southern Africa.
Already
Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda have harmonised their calling charges under
the One Network Area (ONA). Calls within this network have already been
slashed by 12 US cents per minute while there are no charges for
incoming calls since implementation of the ONA in 2015.
Burundi and Tanzania are yet to join the ONA but the two are working on a mechanism to harmonise the roaming rates.
Safaricom and Airtel reduced their voice roaming charges by 60 per cent, leading to increased communication across the region.
And so has Ethiopia, even though it is not a member of the EAC.
And so has Ethiopia, even though it is not a member of the EAC.
South
Sudan is already part of ONA, making all charges for calls between the
countries equivalent to local calls. This has led to a minimum 400 per
cent increase in volume of calls — a direct benefit to EAC citizens and
African businesses operating across the region’s borders.
Previously, making calls across the EAC was more expensive than calling any other continent.
Roaming charges are an important source of revenue for telecoms companies.
Manage roaming charges
The
ONA is a regional framework comprising countries that have agreed to
waive or manage roaming charges and other surcharges on
telecommunications traffic.
When executed, the One
Africa Network will see calling rates reduce dramatically across the
continent. One can only imagine the multiple opportunities this portends
for growth, inclusion and development.
Experts say a
growth of over five per cent, coupled with the availability of cheap
phones and increased integration of services via mobile phones including
money transfer and Internet usage will see a marked increase in
traffic.
Communications Authority of Kenya data
indicates that Kenyans now make more calls within East Africa following
the scrapping of taxes on incoming voice calls by the Rwandan and
Ugandan governments.
Across Comesa, studies have shown that Malawians spend more than $12 (£7.70) a month on mobile phones, the minister noted.
“This is more than half of what the ordinary Malawian earns in a month which is very expensive,” the Ministers noted.
There
was general concern over the high mobile termination and roaming
charges. They noted that although mobile phones had provided new sources
of originating international traffic, it was also more expensive to
terminate traffic on mobile networks.
The ministers
noted that there is general concern regarding high mobile termination
and roaming charges. There seem to be no transparency in coming up with
roaming charges which are seemingly high.
Terminate traffic on mobile networks
Although
mobile phones had provided new sources of originating international
traffic, it is also frequently more expensive to terminate traffic on
mobile networks
They urged Comesa members to emulate other groupings in Africa and beyond in offering reduced roaming and termination charges.
They urged Comesa members to emulate other groupings in Africa and beyond in offering reduced roaming and termination charges.
They
cited the case of the EAC, which has eliminated roaming and termination
charges and the European Union where mobile operators no longer charge
additional fees on customers for using their phones within the EU.
“The
ICT regulators are encouraged to carry out studies on interconnection
rates and reduce or eliminate the roaming charges,” said the Ministers.
“Member states are encouraged to invest in the Fibre Technology to The Home to increase capacity and provide excellent quality.”
The
ministers observed that despite substantial investments in network
infrastructure in the recent years, Africa lacked a robust network
connectivity and high-quality, affordable Internet access.
Comesa
countries represent over 37 per cent of Internet users in Africa, while
Africa represents seven per cent of the world’s Internet users, meaning
that Comesa constitutes 2.5 per cent of the world’s population of the
Internet users.
In their decision, which is binding on
all the Comesa countries, the Ministers called for regulations to
encourage investment among the Virtual Mobile Network Operators (MVNOs)
to enhance competition and increase access.
ALSO READ: WhatsApp, Facebook a threat to voice revenue
Additional reporting by Kemo Cham, Africa Review.
No comments :
Post a Comment