INTERNET USERS TO PAY FLAT RATE WHEN ROAMING IN EAST AFRICA STATES

A subscriber browses the Internet on a smartphone. Telecommunications regulators from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan are expected to meet this week in Nairobi to deliberate on the harmonisation process.

Internet charges for mobile phone users roaming across East Africa are set to come down, with the Kenyan regulator pushing for a harmonised rate within the region in a meeting set for this week.

Telecommunications regulators from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan are expected to meet this week in Nairobi to deliberate on the harmonisation process.

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) director general Francis Wangusi said in an interview last week that harmonisation of the charges was part of a wider strategy by the four regional regulators that will also see a common tariff adopted for mobile money transfers and SMS.

This week’s meeting follows the East Africa ICT ministers’ meeting held in Kampala on June 5.

“As far as we [Kenya regulator] are concerned, we are pushing to have a harmonised data rate within the region. However, a lot of negotiation is required to take place in order to arrive at some ground that is acceptable to all of us,” said Mr Wangusi.

He added that mobile telecommunication operators will be given an opportunity to negotiate and agree on an inter-operator rate, which will then be presented to their respective ICT ministries before being tabled to the East Africa ICT ministers for discussion.

East Africa hopes to replicate the success of harmonised voice tariffs in other countries that saw Safaricom and Airtel reduce their voice roaming charges by 60 per cent. This has led to increased communication across the region.

The East African