Burundi has joined Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania in implementing the ONA, a system that effectively cuts down on high telecommunications expenses in the region.
Effective August 1, 2024, the East African Community (EAC) One Network Area (ONA) has been extended to include Burundi.
The Burundi Telecommunications Regulation and Control Agency (ACRT) announced on July 29, 2024, that new regional roaming rates will apply starting August 1, 2024, in line with Decree No. 100/202 issued on October 2, 2023, regarding Burundi’s integration into the EAC ONA. Burundi now joins Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania in the ONA, which reduces regional telecommunications costs.
ACRT announced that “These new tariffs, which are highly competitive in the region, will greatly lower the costs of cross-border communications within the EAC.” The agency also instructed mobile network operators to transparently communicate the regional direct and roaming tariffs and to provide detailed billing to confirm communications and charges. This will enhance transparency and ensure a reliable and satisfactory user experience.
With Burundi joining the ONA, six of the eight EAC Partner States are now part of the initiative, which aims to reduce the cost of calls and mobile data roaming across the region. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia, the latest additions to the bloc, have not yet joined the ONA.
Hon. Andrea Aguer Ariik, the EAC Deputy Secretary General for Infrastructure, Productive, Social, and Political Sectors, commended Burundi for joining the network. He emphasized that this move would facilitate business activities in East Africa and support the free movement of people, services, and capital as outlined in the EAC Common Market Protocol.
He stated, “Burundi’s entry into the network will lower mobile roaming costs in the region and strengthen regional integration, allowing East Africans to communicate more easily without worrying about high charges, whether they are at home or traveling in another Partner State.” Speaking on behalf of EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva, Hon. Ariik added that the ONA would also benefit businesses that operate across the region, making transactions and service delivery smoother. He expressed anticipation for the day when all eight Partner States will be part of the network, viewing it as a significant step towards greater regional integration.
The framework for standardized EAC roaming charges was established and approved at the 30th Council of Ministers meeting in 2014 and later endorsed by the EAC Heads of State in February 2015. It introduced price caps on roaming charges and required the elimination of additional fees on cross-border telecommunications within the East African Community.
During the 16th Ordinary Summit, the EAC Heads of State instructed the Council to accelerate the implementation of this framework, including the removal of surcharges for international telecommunications traffic within the EAC, with a deadline set for July 15, 2015.