Consumers from Togo traveling to Benin and those from Benin to Togo will soon be able to communicate while traveling between the two countries at a lower cost. Togolese traveling to Benin, while keeping their SIM card, will be able to communicate as if they were residents of Benin and vice versa.
Indeed, to implement Regulation C/REG.21/12/17 relating to community roaming on mobile communications networks within the ECOWAS region, a bilateral memorandum of understanding on free roaming was signed on October 18, 2023 in Lomé, between Mr. GUEDEGBE Coovi Hervé, Executive Secretary of ARCEP Benin and Mr. GALLEY Michel Yaovi, Director General of ARCEP Togo.
This agreement strengthens the good relations that Togo maintains in terms of electronic communications with its closest UEMOA neighbor. His signature followed two days of work between the two regulators and representatives of mobile operators from the two countries, particularly MTN Benin, Moov Africa Bénin, CELTIS Bénin, Togo Cellulaire and Moov Africa Togo.
The agreement is not only limited to voice and SMS services in roaming, but also to mobile internet, which is a big step forward. It also includes regulating the prices of international communications between the two countries.
The effectiveness of its application, from January 1, 2024, will result in a very significant reduction in the prices of roaming services and international communications.
Indeed, when a Togolese visiting Benin receives a call to his Togolese mobile number, he is charged 240 CFA francs per minute. With the signed protocol, this call reception is now free for the first thirty consecutive days of their stay.
As for broadcasting calls in a roaming situation, a minute call to the Benin network will now cost, for a Togolese visiting Benin, 60 CFA francs instead of the previous 300 CFA francs. On the other hand, a minute of talk to Togo for a Togolese visiting Benin will cost 90 CFA francs, while it could reach 1393 CFA francs, or up to 15 times cheaper.
For mobile Internet services, a Togolese consumer visiting Benin is charged a maximum of 2.2 CFA francs per MB, while to date they pay up to 8,000 CFA francs per MB, or 3,600 times cheaper.
In addition to the reduction of roaming prices, the work also allowed for the reduction of the prices of international communication between the two countries, which are now limited to 90 CFA francs per minute, while until today the international price from Togo to Benin could reach 225 CFA francs.
While welcoming these price reductions for consumers, even across borders, ARCEP will continue its efforts to sign similar agreements with other countries in the community area as part of the implementation of ECOWAS regulations.
SOURCE: ARCEP TOGO