Telcos must up their game

Since the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector in 1997, it has grown to become the anchor of Ghana’s economy.

Figures from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) attest to this fact, as, in 2016 alone, the ICT sector grew by about 21.7 per cent, way above the 3.5 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate recorded in the same year. That propelled the sector's contribution to national economic growth from 2.7 per cent in 2015 to 3.3 per cent last year.

Again, from records, the telecom sector is on course to become one of the key performers of the economy this year because, already, for the first quarter of this year, the GSS has reported that the information and communications sub-sector recorded the highest year-on-year quarterly GDP growth of 12 per cent.

The performance of the sector can be attributed largely to the role of the industry regulator in nurturing players and cracking the whip when necessary to enforce rules and maintain some reasonably impressive standards in the industry.

In spite of these achievements, however, consumers of the services of telcos are saddled with rampant call drops, poor sound quality, signalling delays, among many other things, which are robbing them of value for money.

Fluctuations in signal quality within the same area and the inexplicable loss of data and airtime on consumer’s gadgets are other common complaints that are easily explained away by the operators, without improvement in service quality.

The Daily Graphic is aware of the challenges that telcos face when it comes to providing the kind of quality services consumers deserve. Rampant fibre cuts, lack of cell sites because of the refusal of landlords to allow for the erection of cell sites, exorbitant charges by metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs), among other costs, are all hindrances which we cannot gloss over.

However, there is no need for the telcos to hide behind these challenges to deny consumers the best service experiences. This is where we entreat the industry regulator to be steadfast in its quest to ensure that consumers of telecom services are duly protected.

We believe that the National Communications Authority (NCA) can go beyond the fines because consumers on whose behalf the telcos are fined for poor services do not benefit.
The Bank of Ghana has shown the way by closing down two non-performing banks, and much as we do not hope same for the telcos, we expect that something more pragmatic can be done to get the telcos to deliver on their mandate.

The Daily Graphic would also prevail on MMDAs and landlords to desist from charging exorbitant rent before they allow telcos to mount their cell sites to provide better services for the people.
Finally, we wish to congratulate the Network of Communication Reporters (NCR) on the media dialogue series it has initiated to provide a unique platform for the industry regulator, players and the media to dialogue on the way forward to finding solutions to the myriad of challenges within this vibrant and promising sector.

It is the wish of the Daily Graphic that the telcos will move away from their comfort zones and give listening ears to the concerns of their customers. After all, they are in business not only to make profit but also to delight their customers.