NCA tasked to sanction telecom operators for poor service delivery

14-04-2011
Ghana would by the beginning of July, this year introduce the Mobile Number Portability for mobile phone users to be able to switch to a different mobile network while maintaining their phone numbers in case a user was not satisfied with the quality of service of the old network. The Communication Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, who made the disclosure at a Public Education forum on Electromagnetic Fields from Telecommunication Masts at Bolgatanga, indicated that the Attorney General has concluded regulations for onward submission to parliament to fully implement the policy. The move, he explained, would help ensure quality service delivery to mobile phone users. The Minister was not however happy about the low quality of services rendered to mobile phone subscribers across the country, particularly, Northern Ghana. According to him his short visit to the Upper West and Upper East Regions as part of the regional consultative forum, attest to the fact that mobile telecommunications network operators are not living up to expectation, stressing that there was high incidence of what he termed as ‘unacceptable call drop’ and call congestion from service providers. Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, therefore charged the National Communication Authority (NCA) to as a matter of intervention, impose appropriate sanctions against telecommunication operators that renders poor quality service to their prospective clients, and moreover, regulates their activities to enable them improve on their service delivery. He said the people of Upper East deserve better mobile services from providers and that any service provider that fails to deliver on its responsibility deserve to be penalized. On the perceived health implications of telecommunication masts on human, Mr. Iddrisu said his outfit is yet to receive worldwide report on the complaints filed by some section of the public and the media on the matter, emphasizing that of all the scientific findings collated, it had been proven to the effect that impact of telecommunication masts on human is minimal. He was however particular about the indiscriminate mounting of the mast which he noted rather poses danger to lives and property. He said Ghana can boast of 17 million users of mobile phone with six telecom operators. This, he said, was justifiable when the public begin to raise concerns about the effect mobile phones had on them. He later assured Ghanaians of high quality TV pictures and sound following the country’s migration from analogue to digital television. The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Fund on Electronic Communications (GIFEC), Mr. Kofi Attor said the purpose of the forum was among other things educate the public on the effect of the masts and to fashion out precautionary measures to safeguard their effect on the populace. This is to bridge the communication gap between the rural and urban parameters. Mr. Attor disclosed the establishment of ICT facilities and libraries in schools and institutions across the country and disclosed plans by his outfit to extend the facility to areas lacking such amenities. He therefore charged the various district assemblies to play oversight responsibility over the facilities and work assiduously to ensure their maintenance. Experts from NCA, EPA and GIFEC later answered questions from participants.
GBC END IA/