{The East Africa Communications Organisation has given Tanzania and Burundi up to June this year to join the single area network for the sub-region.}
The EACO says the two countries are expected to harmonize their rates in line with the East African Community (EAC) regulations on call rates or risk being shut out of the One Area Network platform. So far Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda have lowered their roaming rates.
Implementation of the One Area Network area has been rocked by suspicion with Tanzania and Burundi failing to meet the December 2014 deadline to lower call rates. Last year, EAC heads of state agreed to limit the maximum roaming charges in the five EAC member countries to 10 Kenyan shillings (about 11 US cents) per minute for retail and 6.21 shillings for wholesale in a move aimed at spurring intra-regional trade.
Communications Authority of Kenya Director-General Francis Wangusi said here Wednesday that Tanzania and Burundi had applied for more time to re-align their tariffs with the rest of regional peers.
Last month the heads of state summit held in Nairobi gave the EAC Council of Ministers up to July this year to effect the One Tariff Network regime in the region. The EACO is also in the process of contracting a firm to recommend how to implement uniform data charges in the region.
Manufacturers and traders in the region have decried the high call rates in the EAC region, citing it as one of the barriers hindering intra-regional trade.
— BERNAMA-NNN-KBC
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