(Ecofin Agency) - Global communications enabler Belgacom International Carrier Services (BICS) has joined the Smart Africa Alliance to implement the One Africa Network (OAN), the free-roaming initiative on the continent. Smart Africa seeks to connect Africa and help member countries achieve sustainable development goals by capitalizing on ICT.

The related agreement was signed on February 27 in Brussels, Belgium, between Daniel Kurgan, the CEO of BICS, and Lacina Koné, the Managing Director of the Smart Africa Alliance. The agreement will see BICS support the Alliance in its ambition to promote the free movement of people and ideas, boost trade and foster intra-continental growth through affordable voice and data roaming charges and cross-border mobile payments supporting millions of Africans in Smart Africa member states. 

“We are delighted to have BICS as a partner for our ongoing flagship project, the One Africa Network (OAN), as BICS is a major stakeholder in the value chain of what we are aiming to achieve namely free roaming for all Africans,” said Lacina Koné, Director General of Smart Africa.
According to Daniel Kurgan, BICS connects 95% of African subscribers directly by enabling international voice and messaging connectivity. “This partnership shows our ongoing commitment to Africa, supporting our customers with state-of-the-art roaming, and anti-fraud solutions, and helping them to increase their roaming footprints,” he said.