Page 86 - SAMENA Trends - Oct-Nov 2023

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WHOLESALE NEWS

Togo and Benin Sign Mutual Roaming Agreement Under ECOWAS Regulations;
International Call Rates Also Lowered

Benin and Togo have signed a bilateral
memorandum of understanding (MoU) on
mutual free international mobile network
roaming between the two countries under
the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) Roaming Regulations.
Agence Ecofin reports that the Beninese
Authority for Regulation of Electronic
Communications and Post (l’Autorite
de Regulation des Communications
Electroniques et de la Poste, ARCEP) and its
regulatory counterpart ARCEP Togo inked
the MoU on 18 October 2023 and scheduled
its implementation for 1 January 2024. The
initiative complies with Regulation No.
C/REG.21/12/17 (2017) for roaming on
public mobile networks within ECOWAS
states. TogoFirst reports that the MoU
enables Togolese and Beninese mobile
users travelling between the neighboring
countries to enjoy the same rates as locally-
registered mobile network subscribers for
outgoing calls and messages for 30 days, Furthermore, the two countries agreed to while a minute’s call to Togo for a Togolese
during which period incoming calls and significantly lower the rates for international resident visiting Benin currently costs
texts are free. Additionally, the MoU caps calls to/from Togo/Benin: from 1 January XOF1,393. In July this year Ghana and Cote
mobile internet roaming service rates, these will be capped at XOF90 per minute, d’Ivoire launched mutual roaming without
which will be set at a maximum XOF2.2 regardless of whether calling from the surcharges via the ECOWAS regulations,
(USD0.0035) per MB for Togolese residents user’s home country network or whilst while Togo is also in the process of
visiting Benin, compared with existing roaming. TogoFirst notes that the existing finalizing a similar arrangement with Ghana
rates of up to XOF8,000/MB – potentially per-minute rate for a Togo-to-Benin call under the ECOWAS framework.
making roaming data 3,600 times cheaper. from the user’s home network is CFA225,

FibreConnect Launches Wholesale Networks to Serve Italian Business
Sector

Italian wholesale network operator CEO of FibreConnect, said: ‘FibreConnect
FibreConnect has launched its first fiber- is thrilled to partner with Tejas Networks
to-the-premises (FTTP) infrastructure on this transformative network rollout that
which will be used by third-party providers seeks to bridge the digital divide for small
to serve businesses in industrial zones and medium businesses in Italy and extend
across the country. Equipment for the the benefits of high speed connectivity to
rollout was provided by Tejas Networks. unserved businesses and industries across
Renzo Ravaglia, Executive Chairman and the country through its ISP partners.’

86 OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2023