Towards enhancing cross-border communication, and fostering seamless communication and connectivity in west African countries, Benin Republic and Ghana have reached an agreement to implement free roaming, aimed at reducing communication expenses for citizens traveling between the two nations.
The agreement follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Benin’s Electronic Communications and Postal Regulatory Authority (ARCEP) and Ghana’s National Communications Authority, signifying a bilateral commitment to fostering greater connectivity and affordability in the telecommunications sector.
According to ARCEP, the implementation of this memorandum will come into effect on July 1, 2024, a move expected to substantially lower roaming costs for customers in both Ghana and Benin.
This development aligns with the regulations set forth by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regarding roaming within the Community’s public mobile communication networks. The ECOWAS regulations, introduced in Praia, Cape Verde, in October 2017, had faced delays in implementation due to various challenges, including the absence of direct links between telecom operators, high call termination rates, and fraudulent activities.
The Executive Secretary of the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), Aliyu Yusuf Aboki, in a revealing interview with BusinessDay in May 2023 disclosed that 13 ECOWAS member states had modified their telecom legislation to exempt roaming surcharges. Aboki emphasized that harmonizing tariff regulations serves to facilitate trade, particularly amidst the numerous cross-border challenges related to connectivity and data access.
He stated, “I believe it would boost trade and economic activities, and in terms of the digital economy, it would open a lot of doors for more businesses to thrive, especially SMEs. When traders arrive in any country in West Africa, they can continue using their phones to do business- check prices, communicate with staff, suppliers, partners, etc- without bothering about higher costs.”
Prior to this agreement, Ghana and Benin had collaborated with other West African nations to facilitate communication. In June 2023, Ghana engaged in bilateral discussions with Côte d’Ivoire to implement the free-roaming initiative, marking them as the first ECOWAS countries to do so, thereby promoting greater integration among member states and reducing roaming charges within the sub region.
Furthermore, Benin and Togo entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in October 2023, enabling free international mobile network roaming between the two countries,