In June 2023, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire became the first ECOWAS countries to implement the free-roaming initiative, allowing subscribers to receive calls without paying roaming fees and to be charged local rates when making calls while in the partner country.

Last year, Ghana again kicked off the ECOWAS Free Roaming initiative with Togo and Benin.

In Southern Africa, mobile users in Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana will no longer be charged extra when they cross borders as part of a move to create a One Network Area.

Joining us to talk about the benefits of eliminating roaming charges is Mudiwa Gavaza, a South Africa based business writer for the Business Day and Financial Mail, covering technology, media and telecommunications companies and Nehemiah Yelu Attigah, Co-founder of the Codefactory Africa, a Working Group Member Alliance for Affordable Internet in Ghana.