MTN, Vodafone given free additional spectrum since April – NCA
The National Communications Authority (NCA) has said that it had granted an additional temporary spectrum at no cost to MTN and Vodafone to improve their service to customers.
The extra five Megahertz (MHz) spectrum was made available to the network operators in April 2020 and will last throughout the election period and the festive season.
The regulator took the decision in order to ease congestion following a surge in the usage of communication services as a result of COVID – 19.
The shutdown of some businesses, restrictions in movement, and lockdowns have forced most companies to digitise operations.
Phone calls and internet use have soared not only in Ghana but across the globe, with government institutions, businesses, educational institutions and the entertainment industry, among others, switching to online platforms for operations.
“In anticipation of a further spike in consumer demand during the election period and Christmas season, the extra spectrum has been made available to MTN and Vodafone at no charge from the regulator in order to prevent congestion and keep costs reasonable to consumers,” the NDC noted in a statement.
This regulatory intervention is part of the mandate of the NCA to continuously strive to ensure that consumers receive good quality service from telecommunications service providers, the release added.
This was in response to a comment made by former Minister for Communications, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, advising the NCA to allocate the 5MHz Spectrum to network operators to boost their capacity to handle election period demand.
“We thank him and wish to inform him and the general public that, such measure had already been implemented,” the NCA replied.
The NCA said it was confident that its intervention will improve the network quality and consumer experience in general.
They also entreated consumers to report any service difficulties promptly to their service providers for quick resolution.
About NCA
The National Communications Authority, (NCA), was established by an Act of Parliament, Act 524 in December 1996, which has been repealed and replaced by the National Communications Authority Act, 2008 (Act 769). The Authority is the statutory body mandated to license and to regulate electronic communication activities and services in the country.