Minister for Communications and Digitalisation and Member of Parliament for the Ablekuma West constituency, Mrs Ursula Owusu Ekuful has introduced a new initiative called the ECOWAS free roaming to bolster connectivity within the country.
Highlighting the significance of this initiative, she revealed that despite its adoption in 2016, there were initial hurdles in its implementation.
Speaking at the Ministers Press Briefing on Sunday, February 18, under the theme ‘Digital Infrastructure to Bridge the Digital Divide’, she disclosed that Ghana engaged in bilateral discussions with Cote d’Ivoire in June 2023 to kickstart this endeavour.
Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire have emerged as the pioneer ECOWAS countries to roll out the free roaming initiative, aiming to foster greater integration and alleviate roaming charges.
Essentially, Ghanaian subscribers visiting Cote d’Ivoire will enjoy receiving calls without incurring international roaming fees, while calls made to Ghana from Cote d’Ivoire will be charged at local rates, and vice versa.
Mrs Owusu Ekuful emphasized that this initiative will empower subscribers from both nations to utilize their phones without the burden of international roaming charges.
Furthermore, she announced Ghana’s successful signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Togo, with plans to implement the free roaming initiative by the end of the first quarter of 2024.
Additionally, she revealed that the National Communications Authority has received expressions of interest from Benin and the Gambia to establish similar bilateral roaming services which will facilitate trade and interactions within these countries.
