To address concerns about cross-border signal interference, the Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques et des Postes (ARCEP) of Burkina Faso and the National Communications Authority (NCA) of Ghana began holding virtual bilateral meetings on Tuesday.
Representatives from both nations, including regulators and mobile network operators, gather for the meetings to discuss strategies and finalise a frequency coordination agreement that will help reduce interference issues along their shared borders.
Ghana’s frequency agreement with Togo
The NCA’s Acting Director General, Rev. Ing. Edmund Fianko, welcomed the participants and stated that Ghana had already signed a frequency agreement with Togo and was eager to finalise a similar deal with Burkina Faso, both of which are aware of the detrimental effects of signal interference.
He clarified that this initiative was a reaction to consumer complaints about interference issues along the Ghana–Burkina Faso border. Therefore, he called on all parties involved to adhere to the established thresholds, stressing that mechanisms would be put in place for a minimum signal strength across the border and that operators on both sides would have to follow the new thresholds after they were decided.
Rev. Fianko also alluded to the Authority’s desire to move the ECOWAS roaming talks along, pointing out that Ghana had already successfully implemented the plan with Benin and Togo.
Collaboration to create a strong framework for coordinated spectrum
The meeting was a positive step, according to Mr. Sibiri Ouattara, Technical Advisor to the Executive Secretary of the Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques et des Postes (ARCEP), who spoke at the event.
He said that operators and regulators collaborated to create a strong framework for a better coordinated and more efficiently managed spectrum.
He was confident that the meetings would offer a chance to review the findings of the measurements made during the most recent joint spectrum monitoring exercise along the two nations’ borders in October–December 2024.
He assures that the outcomes of the meetings would guarantee the best and most peaceful use of frequencies without detrimental interference for the citizens’ benefit.
He stated, “I am convinced that the conclusions and recommendations resulting from our discussions will represent a major step, guaranteeing optimal and harmonious use of frequencies without harmful interference, for the benefit of our citizens.”
The meeting is anticipated to end on Wednesday.