Traders and telecoms want EAC roaming fees scrapped

Telecoms subscribers, especially businesspersons, have said enough is enough with the burden of prohibitive roaming call rates, and are now calling for the scrapping of fees on regional calls.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Roaming fee affects business, traders say.

Telecoms subscribers, especially businesspersons, have said enough is enough with the burden of prohibitive roaming call rates, and are now calling for the scrapping of fees on regional calls. Mobile phone users and telecoms operators are feeling the pinch following last year’s review of fees on roaming services by sector regulator, Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (Rura).Rura introduced a fee where any person calling an operator in Rwanda is charged Rwf144.3 per minute, up from Rwf59. Traders say this has increased the cost of doing business in the region since the regulations affect costs for all incoming international calls for mobile phone users in Rwanda and the Diaspora.Telecoms say the increase in taxes meant rates for cross-border calls went up.Click her for full story