LTA campaigns for cross-border SIM Cards

Liberia Telecommunication Authority or LTA Chairperson Madam Angelique Weeks says participants at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names or ICANN Regulators Conference should brainstorm and strategize on how the telecommunications operations can be harmonized among ECOWAS countries.

She told participants Tuesday, 25 April at the Bella Casa Hotel in Sinkor, Monrovia that when SIM Cards are harmonized among ECOWAS states, citizens of the sub-region would not have to change their SIM Cards whenever they travel to ECOWAS states.

She argues that citizens of ECOWAS countries are presently using a single traveling document which is the ECOWAS Passport, noting that it harmonizes the work of the sub-region and gives easy passage to citizens.

During the conference on Tuesday, Madam Weeks noted the absence of a representative from neighboring Ivory Coast’s Telecommunications Authority. She did not say why Ivory Coast, one of ICANN’s key telecommunications member countries was absent from the conference.

Speaking via satellite, the head of ICANN Africa Strategy Mr. Pierre Dandjimou challenged the participants meeting here in Monrovia to strategize and come up with further regulations that would harmonize the workings of ICANN member countries.

Mr. Danjimou says the conference is very significant to the growth of the telecommunication business in the ECOWAS region. At Tuesday’s session, the participants discussed the overview, structure and outcomes, understanding the ICANN ecosystem, policy development process at ICANN first in Africa, Internet Critical Resources, K and K Roll Over, and ICANN Africa Strategy.

The conference also touched other topics including TLD management by regulatory body, presentation of experiences, ICANN online learning platform and IPv4 to IPv6 Transition. The conference continues on April 26 at the Bella Casa Hotel in Sinkor with other important aspects due to be discussed.

By Emmanuel Mondaye-Editing by Winston W. Parley