The East African Community (EAC) has commenced a series of regional engagements aimed at advancing the development of a harmonised Regional Mobile Roaming Framework to support affordable cross-border communication, enhance regional trade and accelerate implementation of the EAC Single Digital Market agenda.
The engagements, taking place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from 25th to 29th May, 2026 bring together regional telecommunications experts, policymakers, Heads of Communications Regulatory Authorities and regional partner institutions under the Meeting of the Technical Committee on Telecommunications.
Welcoming delegates to Tanzania, the Host Government appreciated Partner States and regional stakeholders for convening in Dar es Salaam to advance regional telecommunications integration.
“We welcome you all to Dar es Salaam and wish you a pleasant stay in Tanzania. We appreciate the decision to host these important meetings in Dar es Salaam, recognising that the outcomes of these engagements will contribute significantly towards reducing the cost of telecommunications services and improving communication across the region,” said Mr. Philemon Machaine, Principal ICT Officer, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, United Republic of Tanzania.
The Chairperson of the Meeting, Principal Regional Integration Officer for Science and Technology, Ministry of EAC Affairs, Republic of Uganda, Mr. George Lwevoola, observed that regional discussions on mobile roaming within the EAC formally commenced in 2013 and have since registered steady progress towards making cross-border communication more affordable and accessible across the region.
“Efforts aimed at making communications affordable within the region have been ongoing for more than a decade. While significant progress has been made, Partner States have also jointly implemented various initiatives, including the One Network Area, which have provided valuable lessons and experiences that continue to inform development of a sustainable and harmonised regional roaming framework for the Community,” noted Mr. Lwevoola. “Over the next five days, we hope to register further progress towards making communication services cheaper and facilitating business and regional integration through improved connectivity,” he added.