#TECHPAGE Feature: Bringing Africa closer together

Mauritius Telecom chief executive and SATA chairman Sherry Singh launched the SATA Connect sharing platform and app in Ebene, Mauritius.

Mauritius Telecom chief executive and SATA chairman Sherry Singh launched the SATA Connect sharing platform and app in Ebene, Mauritius.

Published Sep 20, 2019

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Since Mauritius Telecom (MT) took over the chairmanship of the Southern Africa Telecommunications Association (SATA) much has been done to increase the communication methods among SADC countries. 

With initiatives like SATA Connect and ‘Roam Like Home’, which were launched last week after the regions ICT ministers took the stance to decrease roaming prices in member states, MT is fast becoming a leader in bringing Africa closer together. 

Much like in Europe, the aim for Roam Like Home is to allow for travellers to use their networks at the same price as they would in their home countries. 

“In order to have one space- from one SADC country to another, they can benefit from the same tariffs. It’s high time for this to happen. Since 2007, operators have been unable to decide on the tariff they need to collaborate with other operators in other countries so it is a complex process. 

Unless we all decide to collaborate,  it is very difficult to bring about the change,” said MT chief executive and SATA chairman Sherry Singh. 

“As SATA we have been trying to take this project home. MT was actually one of the operators resisting this, as a mostly touristic country there are a lot of inbound roamers and we felt that it would affect us financially if we tried to do one tariff.”

The SADC meeting that took place in April, with the assertion of the Mauritian Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation Yogida Sawmynaden, allowed for MT to take leadership of SATA. 

Members of the Southern Africa Telecommunications Association at the SATAConnect launch.

“We decided to go from ‘lackers’ to those driving the solution. In June, there was a meeting in South Africa and there we lobbied quite hard to explain why this should be done and at least we know that we were very successful because we managed to sign 13 out of the 15 agreements. The two outstanding are Malawi and Comoros. The negotiation with these two countries is undergoing and will soon be finalised,” said Singh.

He said it was important for all countries to come on board and make all of Africa attractive.

“This is the time to have something like the Roam Like Home network for SADC countries and the whole of Africa. There is a SADC ministerial meeting coming soon so it would be really great if all the members make an effort to sign the agreement quite fast.”

SATA has 16 country members and without a common knowledge database it has been extra hard to find solutions and overcome management challenges.

“Each country has a lot of their own information, whether it is commercial, from a regulation perspective or a technical one. But when we collaborate unfortunately we do not have a common place to meet and share this data and update our knowledge.” 

Singh said it was because of this that SATA Connect came to be; to make sure the regional agenda is a focal point.

“We needed to create a digital sharing platform. Today with technology, it is not hard to collaborate through digital means. Sometimes we lose touch with what is happening in member states. But now there is no excuse not to collaborate or stay in touch with SATA and its members. It is going to be very purposeful and powerful.”

An app of the platform was also launched. 

@mane_mpi

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