DAR ES SALAAM, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The East African Community (EAC) on Monday launched a week-long regional meeting in Tanzania to develop a harmonized mobile roaming framework to support affordable cross-border communication and accelerate the implementation of its Single Digital Market agenda.

The engagement, taking place in Dar es Salaam from Monday to Friday, brings together telecommunications experts, policymakers, communications regulators, and regional institutions under the Meeting of the Technical Committee on Telecommunications, the EAC said in a statement.

Ariik Malueth, EAC deputy secretary-general for infrastructure, productive, social, and political sectors, said that affordable and seamless cross-border communication was essential for strengthening regional integration, trade, and participation in the digital economy.

He noted that although the existing EAC roaming framework adopted in 2014 helped reduce communication costs within the region, challenges such as high roaming charges, inconsistent implementation, and differing regulatory approaches continue to affect seamless connectivity.

The proposed framework seeks to establish harmonized regulations, cost-based tariffs, improved consumer protection, and better quality of service across EAC member states, according to the statement.

The EAC is a regional intergovernmental organization, comprising Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, to promote economic, political, and social integration. ■