African Roaming Alliance Holds Second In-Person Meeting in Côte d’Ivoire to Tackle Roaming Issues
The African Roaming Alliance (ARA) Lab held its second face-to-face meeting on October 23rd and 24th in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, hosted by Orange. This two-day event brought together more than 30 delegates from over 10 countries across Africa, eager to address challenges and opportunities in the African telecommunications roaming sector.
Led by Chair Theresa Adade (Bayobab) and Deputy Chair Samba Kouamelan (Orange), the session kicked off with a round of introductions, followed by updates on the work being developed by the IO Executive Board, Advisory Board, RoamForward, and other IO Labs (VoLTE Roaming Lab, 5G Roaming Lab, M2M Roaming Lab, Roaming Connectivity Lab, Messaging Evolution Lab).
Day 1 also featured discussions on the impact of Travel SIM on Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), with a focus on use cases, challenges, and emerging opportunities in Africa. The Roaming Quality of Service (QoS) session explored best practices for network infrastructure and capacity building, followed by a presentation on QoS monitoring and troubleshooting by Orange. The day concluded with an in-depth MNO discussion on optimizing roaming operations.
On Day 2, the agenda continued with a presentation raising awareness of roaming fraud in Africa, addressing strategies for fraud prevention and control. As part of the Roaming Automation Roadshow, operators attending also engaged with Yaana, showcasing a new automation solution. A key segment of the day was dedicated to understanding the complexities of roaming regulations across Africa, with presentations from regulatory bodies including Smart Africa.
A breakout session to review the Playbook the ARA Lab is building generated a lot of interaction among the delegates. The meeting closed with key takeaways, ensuring that the insights gained will help shape the future of the African roaming ecosystem, which will be captured in the ARA Work Plan for 2025.
With positive feedback overall, all delegates agreed on the value of the discussions and declared themselves ambassadors of the African Roaming Alliance Lab. The need for more face-to-face exchanges and awareness-raising of these initiatives with senior management was also identified as a crucial element to move forward.
The African Roaming Alliance expressed its gratitude to Orange for hosting the event and facilitating an environment of collaboration, reinforcing the commitment of African MNOs to advancing connectivity across the continent.
About African Roaming Alliance (ARA) Lab:
The African Roaming Alliance (ARA) Lab is a collaborative platform established to address the unique challenges and opportunities in the African telecommunications industry. Comprising leading African operators and industry stakeholders, ARA Lab is dedicated to enhancing the roaming experience, regulatory compliance, and innovation in the region.
About Innovative Operator (IO):
Innovative Operator (IO) is a forward-thinking organization committed to promoting knowledge sharing, innovation, and collaboration among telecom operators.
