RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Citizens of the member countries of the Andean Community (CAN) will be able to use their postpaid cellular service without international roaming surcharges as of January 2022, the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society of Ecuador (MINTEL) informed this Saturday.
“From January 1, 2022, there will be no surcharges for international postpaid ‘roaming’ in the Andean Community, that is, you will be able to communicate without paying more. We are making progress in digital integration and taking firm steps to benefit Andean citizens,” he posted on his Twitter account.
In his account in that social network, the head of state, Guillermo Lasso, celebrated the “good news” and assured that “connectivity is strengthened in the Pro Tempore Presidency of Ecuador in the Andean Community”.
According to a press release from MINTEL, the same rates (prices) for voice, data, and SMS as in the country of origin must be applied, that is to say, “users will not have to pay any additional surcharge for ‘roaming’ in the CAN countries”, he insisted.
“The measure applies to international users in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru”, reads the document before pointing out that in the case of Ecuador, “it will benefit approximately 3.5 million citizens who have postpaid plans”.
The Andean Committee of Telecommunications Authorities (CAATEL), a specialized body in telecommunications matters of the CAN, chaired by MINTEL, approved the resolution on Friday in compliance with Andean Decision 854, the Ministry said in the statement.