Niger plans free roaming with Togo

Benin will establish free roaming with Ghana starting July 1, 2024. Additionally, in November 2023, Ghana’s National Communications Authority and Togo’s electronic communications authority agreed to bilateral roaming services under Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regulations, effective March 2024. Togo also formed a free-roaming partnership with Mali in December 2023, offering mobile users complimentary calls for the first 30 days of their visit.

Togo has also signed a similar agreement with Côte d’Ivoire, with more nations expected to join. For Niger, this collaboration with Togo provides valuable insights into data-driven telecom regulation to improve connectivity and economic activities.

These agreements follow the amendment of telecom legislation by 13 ECOWAS member states to eliminate roaming surcharges, confirmed by West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA’s) Executive Secretary, Aliyu Yusuf Aboki, in May 2023. This move aims to enhance cross-border trade and economic activities while addressing connectivity and data access issues. WATRA’s 2016 announcement further emphasized reducing high roaming costs in West African countries.

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