WATRA, Phase3 to partner on connectivity

The West African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (WATRA), may have advanced strategies to partner Phase3 Telecom on regional connectivity across the West Africa sub-region.

Executive Secretary, WATRA, Mr. Nnamdi Nwokike, made this known in Abuja, last week at a dinner party organized by Phase3 to mark the end of 2010 business year.

He said that the regional telecommunications regulatory body, WATRA, is fully in support of the plan by Phase3 Telecom to build its aerial optic across West Africa.

“There is an urgent need to develop communication infrastructure within the region in order to ensure that services among the countries in West African become autonomous of Europe,” he said.

Nwokike noted that the limited cross-border connectivity infrastructure has over the years made communication among countries in West Africa to be unnecessarily expensive, as member states often have to route their calls through Europe before reaching one another.

He underscored the fact that the problematic interconnection among member countries in the region had been working separately, Nwokike said that with formation of WATRA, a decision has been taken to develop a blueprint on how West African countries could operate common communication infrastructure.

Chief executive Officer, Phase3 telecom, Mr. Stanley Jegede in his address, expressed delight at the move by WATRA to help in the development of common infrastructure.

Jegede said that over the years, his firm has had to visit every country in West Africa to seek for permits to set up, stressing that with the decision by WATRA to now have a common body in charge of regional infrastructure, time spent on getting permits, right of ways and licenses and related matters will be greatly reduced.

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