From October 8 to 11, 2024, the EAC Partner States, with support from the EAC-GIZ Programme, gathered in Nairobi to validate the assessment report and regulatory framework on the One Network Area (ONA) initiative. This initiative aims to streamline communication across the EAC by harmonising roaming and traffic exchange for voice calls, SMS, and data. The goal is to foster regional integration and make communication more affordable.
ONA seeks to create a seamless telecommunications environment within the EAC, allowing users to communicate across borders without incurring extra charges. For instance, when someone roams in another EAC country, they will only pay local rates for calls and messages, significantly reducing costs.
To ensure the successful rollout of ONA, the Regulatory Framework incorporates a SWOT analysis that evaluates the current roaming and traffic exchange arrangements to identify strengths and weaknesses. It benchmarks with other regions, such as the European Union (EU), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), on their regional and international direct dialling traffic interconnect arrangements to identify best practices. Further, the framework contains Quality of Service (QoS) parameters, ensuring high standards for roaming services and proposals for revenue assurance and protection against revenue loss and fraudulent activities in telecommunications.
 Imagine you're a business traveller, and you often travel within the region for business. Prior to ONA, if you received a call while roaming in another country, you would incur high charges. If a colleague from Kenya called you while you were in Uganda, you might have paid extra just to answer the call, along with additional costs for making calls and sending texts.
Now, with the new regulations under the ONA, specific cost caps for mobile communications within the EAC have been established:
- Receiving Calls: when receiving a call while roaming, there will be no charges reflected. Users, therefore, do not need to worry about additional costs.
- Making Calls: When making a call to someone in Rwanda, for example, you will pay a maximum of USD 0.10 per minute, including taxes.
- Sending Texts: If you send a text message, the maximum you will be required to pay is USD 0.027 per SMS.
- Using Data: If you need to use data to check emails or browse the internet, for example, your data charges are capped at USD 0.005 per MB. This makes it affordable for users to stay connected on the go.
ONA fosters a more connected East Africa; it makes it easier for individuals and businesses to connect, boosting economic activity, i.e., trade and investment in the region.
The EAC initially launched ONA for voice calls in January 2015, starting with Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan. Recent additions include Tanzania and Burundi, which joined in July 2023 and August 2024, respectively. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia, as newer members of the community, are encouraged to adopt ONA to benefit their citizens and businesses.
The EAC One Network Area initiative marks a significant step toward greater connectivity and integration in East Africa. By harmonising telecommunications policies, the EAC aims to create a common market that benefits all its member states, paving the way for enhanced economic growth and social interactions across the region.
Background:
Through the Support to East African Integration (SEAMPEC II) Programme, EAC-GIZ supports the advancement of the One Network Area to all Partner States and the development of regulatory frameworks/guidelines on mobile money, data, and voice call and SMS roaming in the Financial and Communication sectors with respect to the EAC Common Market Protocol.
Find more information on SEAMPEC II here.