The East African Community (EAC) has commenced a series of regional engagements aimed at advancing the development of a harmonised Regional Mobile Roaming Framework, to improve cross-border connectivity across its member states.
The work is taking place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with the EAC bringing together regional telecommunications experts, policymakers, and heads of communications regulatory authorities through the Meeting of the Technical Committee on Telecommunications.
Dar es Salaam talks aim to cut roaming costs and align regulation
The EACs harmonised Regional Mobile Roaming Framework is intended to support affordable cross-border communication, enhance regional trade, and accelerate implementation of the EAC Single Digital Market agenda.
The engagements are reviewing findings from a regional study on the implementation of an EAC Roaming Framework and deliberating on a draft long-term Regional Mobile Roaming Framework to create a sustainable and harmonised regulatory mechanism for international business roaming SIMs within the Community.
EAC officials also cite persistent pressure from high roaming charges on cross-border traders, transport operators, tourists, students, and businesses that rely on mobile connectivity while travelling within the region.
Draft framework focuses on consumer protection, tariffs, enforcement and QoS
The draft Regional Mobile Roaming Framework proposes harmonised measures intended to strengthen consumer protection, establish cost-based tariffs, enhance enforcement and compliance mechanisms, improve quality of service, and support sustainable implementation of roaming services within the EAC.
Study flags practical gaps: voice-centric rules and cost drivers
The regional study feeding into the engagements identified challenges including inconsistencies in regulatory and commercial practices, high interconnection and transit costs, tax disparities, fraud risks, inconsistent quality of service, and limited consumer awareness.
It also said the current framework remains largely voice-centric and does not adequately address growing demand for affordable data services needed for e-commerce, digital payments, online services, and broader digital integration across the region.
Regional roaming discussions have been under way since 2013
Regional discussions on mobile roaming within the EAC formally commenced in 2013 and have registered steady progress toward making cross-border communication more affordable and accessible.
However, the study indicates there may still be a lot more work to do.