Communications regulators in East Africa say mobile phone players need to come up with fair and equitable charges to facilitate regional roaming.They said this here yesterday when speaking on the sidelines of the meeting organised by the East African Communications Organization (EACO).
A representative of the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), Dr Gerald Ngahema, said roaming charges remained high in the region. They were therefore causing a lot of inconvenience for East Africans when they are outside their countries, he said.
“This is why we think it is time for the key players to harmonise their charges,” he said, noting that the move will partly implement the EAC regional integration process.
He said although there were several strides made towards improving communication services, the high charges remained a stumbling block.
He said the communication sector was growing very fast; hence the need for improved services, adding that Tanzania was working on setting up the telecommunication traffic monitoring system (TTMS) to facilitate TCRA’s regulation of network operators in the country.
“The system will help to improve our ability to independently monitor mobile traffic as well as the quality of service provided by operators and their compliance to prescribed standards,” he told the gathering.
He also explained that the second phase of the switch from analogue to digital broadcasting has already started and will be completed by next October.
The Director General of the Burundi Telecoms Regulatory Authority (ARCT), Joseph Bangurambona, said more has to be done to ease communication within the region.
He said Burundi was also working hard to ensure that it meets the 2015 target of digital switch-over.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA), Francois Regis Gatarayiha, said:
“In Rwanda we are also working hard to ensure that the general public gets cheap and competitive mobile telephone services.”
He said ICT is an important cornerstone towards realizing socio-economic development, and hence needs to be improved for the betterment of East Africans.
The chairman of EACO, who is also the Director General of the Communications Commission of Kenya, Francis Wangusi, said EACO commissioned a study to provide a framework to reduce roaming charges in the region and spur growth.
He said after the study, the groundwork on reduction of roaming charges would be implemented. He added that the move would help develop and recommend a clear cost-based roaming framework.
The study is to involve regulators from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, he said. He said the EACO had already secured funds for international roaming charges in the East African region.
Wangusi added that roaming charges have a direct impact on regional trade and free movement of people.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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