Tigo Rwanda on Friday announced an 80 percent reduction for data roaming fees for its customers travelling to Uganda and Kenya.

Tigo subscribers and visitors roaming on the Tigo network will now browse at Rwf90/megabyte down from Rwf440 in a new tariff that takes effect on July 1 2016.

"We understand that accessing the Internet and staying online at all times is paramount to our customers. The addition of data services on the ONA arrangement eases the cost of doing business for our customers,”Philip Amoateng, the Tigo Rwanda CEO says in a statement.

"Tigo is, and will continue to be an enabler for individuals and businesses as they access different digital services online thanks to our stable and affordable internet services,” he said.

Tigo’s announcement follows a directive from the Heads of State Summit for the Northern Corridor Integration Projects held in Kampala, Uganda calling on telecom operators and regulators to fast track their data charges and review taxes downward.

There has been an outcry in the recent past from residents of the three countries on exorbitant calling and roaming rates that were being charged by telecom companies.

The Pricing

ONA Data Roaming

Local tariff: 51 FRW/MB

ONA data roaming tariff (Kenya & Uganda): 90 FRW/ MB

SMS

 SMS from Rwanda to Uganda, Kenya or South Sudan: 45Rwf per event down from 75Rwf.

Voice

Calls to Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan:  to 68, 60, and 60, down from 128, 256 and 245 respectively.