Three African Operators Abolish Roaming Charges

Three operators in East Africa have joined up to offer free roaming between Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Vodacom Tanzania has teamed up with Safaricom Kenya and MTN Uganda to form the free roaming zone.

The service was officially launched at a vibrant ceremony held at the Kilimanjaro Kempinski Hotel in Dar es Salaam by the Managing Director of Vodacom Tanzania, Romeo Kumalo in the presence of the MTN Uganda CEO Noel Meier, Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph and the guest of honor Dr. Makongoro Mahanga Deputy Minister for Infrastructure.

The service enables customers to use their phone across East Africa with the added benefits of receiving incoming calls and SMS for free; making calls and sending SMS at their home tariffs; and recharging with their own vouchers while not in their home country.

"We are very excited about this innovative partnership, which is a sign of our ongoing commitment to providing communication solutions that are pertinent to the changing needs of our customers," said Kumalo at the launch.

This product also signifies a major milestone in the relationship of the networks across the region, with Vodacom Tanzania entering a cooperative commercial agreement with MTN Uganda for the very first time, primarily for the pure benefits of the consumer.

"We see this as a great opportunity to further the common East African Community vision of creating synergies that will ultimately spur economic and political development in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania," said Kumalo.

The opening of the East African market is set to promote more business trade across the borders and with the removal of roaming charges across East Africa and the reduction of communications and business costs - Vodacom Tanzania believes that this product will help facilitate trade and allow for better efficiency and execution for its corporate customers as well as governments. In essence, Vodacom Tanzania is contributing to the goals and efforts of the East African Community - assisting the three governments in achieving the ideals of a borderless economy."

Posted to the site on 2nd February 2007