Liberia and Sierra Leone have officially rolled out a free roaming initiative inspired by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), allowing citizens from both countries to use mobile services across borders without incurring international roaming charges. This move aims to reduce costs and boost connectivity for farmers, traders, and transport operators reliant on cross-border communication and mobile money.
Meanwhile, Liberia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Côte d’Ivoire to implement a similar free roaming agreement. The MoU followed a three-day conference hosted by Liberia’s Telecommunications Authority (LTA) with participation from Sierra Leone’s National Communications Authority (NatCA) and Côte d’Ivoire officials.
Clarence K Massaquoi, LTA Chairman, emphasized the deep ties and long shared border between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, noting the potential for the deal to spur trade and improve communication in border regions. However, the exact timeline for the Liberia-Côte d’Ivoire agreement’s activation remains unclear.
Mobile operators in both countries have begun technical preparations, including agreeing on revenue-sharing models, service quality, and consumer protection measures, to enable voice, text, and data services under the new framework.
