East Africa has a combined population of about 120 million people. The region is set to become a single market at the start of July. The implications of a single market comprising Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania for any sector are many and varied.The single market will literally open up the borders of all the five countries and people from all the five countries will criss cross this vast territory for business, work and pleasure. One key sector that will no doubt facilitate this movement of people, goods and capital is the communication services sub-sector. Without access to communication services; be it voice, physical mail, electronic mail, the Common Market and what it espouses will be limited and East Africans will not enjoy its full benefits.

For access to such services to aid the Common Market, the Monetary Union that should come after this stage and finally the political federation, which will come last, the East African Community (EAC) needs to look the same with all rules and guidelines that govern the communications sector harmonised.

From May 3rd – 7th, the East African Communications Organisation (EACO) – the umbrella body of the five agencies that regulate the communications sector in East Africa held its 17th Congress in Kampala to continue its agenda to harmonise all regulation governing all segments of the sector.

The full article will be available in the June edition of CIO East Africa print magazine.