Roaming between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana: soon free call reception
March 10th 2023
ARTCI signed a protocol in Accra between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana for the effective implementation of ECOWAS regulations on roaming. Soon free call reception!
The Telecommunications/ICT Regulatory Authority of Côte d’Ivoire (ARTCI) and the National Communications Authority of Ghana (National Communications Authority – NCA) held from February 20 to 22, 2023, at the NCA Tower in Accra, a meeting on the implementation of ECOWAS roaming between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
The Ivorian delegation was made up of Messrs. Guy-Michel KOUAKOU (Director of Economy, Markets and Prospective), Lanciné FOFANA (Head of the Observatory and Markets Department), Kevin YAO (Head of the Technological Watch and Standardization Department) of the ARTCI and representatives of the various operators Moov Africa, MTN Côte d’Ivoire and Orange Côte d’Ivoire.
As a reminder, Côte d’Ivoire, during the 16th meeting of ECOWAS Ministers in charge of ICT, held from October 1 to 4, 2019, in Ouagadougou, was designated by its peers as “CHAMPION” for the full implementation of Regulation No. C/REG.21/12/17 on roaming on public mobile communications networks in the Community area.
Thus, assisted by the Regulators of Guinea and Ghana, in collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission and the participation of WATRA, ARTCI has been coordinating since 2020 the work to implement the said Regulations.
However, with the persistence of certain difficulties, in particular the absence of direct links between operators, the high level of call termination rates for the implementation of free roaming call reception, fraud, implementation of sub-regional roaming could only be partially achieved.
It is in this context that ARTCI made this working visit to Ghana in order to discuss and resolve the specific problems identified between Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, which are hampering the full implementation of the Community regulations on roaming, by mobile operators in both countries.
The meeting ended with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ivorian and Ghanaian parties in which the two (02) countries are committed to resolving the difficulties identified. The said protocol also confirms the opening of community roaming services, in accordance with the requirements of community regulations, for April 28, 2023, followed by an official launch ceremony in Abidjan, in the presence of the two (2) Regulators and their respective operators, Ministries in charge of Telecommunications/ICT, ECOWAS and WATRA.
In addition, in order to ensure the effective implementation of all the due diligence necessary to meet this important deadline, a joint monitoring committee, made up of representatives of the two (2) Regulators and operators from the two countries, has been set up. in place.
ARTCI, in its role as coordinator for the implementation of community roaming, does everything possible to ensure the success of this regional initiative; This new dynamic initiated by ARTCI will be extended to each of the ECOWAS countries to coordinate and finalize the implementation of the Regulation in all fifteen (15) Member States. Anything that will make VOICE, SMS and DATA communications more affordable in the medium term for all users of telecommunications services traveling in the ECOWAS region.
