EAC pushes new regional roaming plan to cut communication costs

The East African Community (EAC) has intensified efforts to lower cross-border communication costs and improve regional digital connectivity through a new harmonised mobile roaming framework aimed at supporting trade, business and regional integration.

Regional telecommunications experts, policymakers, regulators and partner institutions are meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from May 25 to 29, 2026, under the Technical Committee on Telecommunications to advance discussions on affordable and seamless mobile communication across East Africa.

The proposed Regional Mobile Roaming Framework is expected to strengthen implementation of the EAC Single Digital Market agenda by enabling citizens and businesses to communicate and access digital services more easily while moving across Partner States.

Speaking during the opening of the engagements, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors, Andrea Ariik Malueth, said affordable connectivity is now central to regional integration and economic transformation.

“Affordable and seamless communication across borders is essential for deepening regional integration, supporting trade and enabling East Africans to fully participate in the digital economy,” Ariik said.

He noted that despite earlier progress under the EAC Roaming Framework adopted in 2014, the region still faces challenges including high roaming charges, uneven implementation and differing regulatory systems among Partner States.

According to Ariik, expensive voice calls, SMS and mobile data services continue to burden cross-border traders, transport operators, tourists, students and businesses operating within the region.

“Cross-border traders, transport operators, tourists and businesses depend heavily on reliable mobile communication services. By advancing a harmonised regional roaming framework, the EAC is addressing one of the practical barriers affecting movement, trade and socio-economic interaction within the Community,” he added.

Chairperson of the meeting and Uganda’s Principal Regional Integration Officer for Science and Technology in the Ministry of EAC Affairs, George Lwevoola, said discussions on regional roaming started in 2013 and have since generated important lessons through initiatives such as the One Network Area arrangement.

“Efforts aimed at making communication affordable within the region have been ongoing for more than a decade. While significant progress has been made, Partner States have gained valuable experience that continues to guide development of a sustainable and harmonised roaming framework,” Lwevoola said.

He expressed optimism that the current engagements would deliver further progress in reducing communication costs and improving regional connectivity.

Also speaking at the meeting, Philemon Machaine, Principal ICT Officer in Tanzania’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, said the outcomes of the discussions are expected to significantly improve access to affordable telecommunications services across East Africa.

The week-long engagements are reviewing findings of a regional study on implementation of the current EAC Roaming Framework while also examining a draft long-term Regional Mobile Roaming Framework.

The study, conducted by the EAC Secretariat with support from the World Bank under the Eastern African Regional Digital Integration Project, assessed legal, regulatory, commercial and technical barriers affecting regional roaming services.

Among the key challenges identified were inconsistent regulatory practices, high interconnection and transit costs, tax disparities, fraud risks, weak consumer awareness and inconsistent quality of service across Partner States.

The study also found that the current roaming framework focuses heavily on voice services and does not adequately respond to growing demand for affordable mobile data needed for e-commerce, digital payments and online services.

To address these gaps, the proposed framework recommends harmonised regulations, cost-based tariffs, stronger consumer protection measures, improved compliance enforcement and enhanced service quality standards.

EAC officials believe the framework will help reduce communication barriers, support regional trade and tourism, and strengthen digital integration within the bloc.

The ongoing meetings will include technical validation of the study findings, capacity-building sessions and policy discussions among heads of communications regulatory authorities before the draft framework is submitted to the Sectoral Council on Transport, Communications and Meteorology for consideration and adoption.

Regional organisations participating in the engagements include the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Smart Africa Alliance and the East African Communications Organisation (EACO).