The Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George has issued a stern warning to telecommunication companies operating in Ghana, threatening fines and sanctions by the end of 2025 if quality of service do not significantly improve.

He said despite the visible presence and infrastructure of telcos across the country, customers continued to suffer from poor service quality, particularly in growing urban areas and key regional towns.

“We are not doing sentiments. We are doing engineering. If you have infrastructure in place but your service is poor, we must begin to take regulatory action,” Mr George stated.

The Minister made the remark on Friday (May 30, 2025) in Accra when he met the Chief Executive Officers of MTN, Telecel, and AT, along with their technical teams, to assess the performance of their networks and explore solutions to persistent service challenges.

The meeting featured a presentation by the National Communications Authority (NCA), based on an assessment of 48 localities nationwide.

The study was initiated following public complaints about poor network quality and evaluated mobile network operators using four key performance indicators: 3G Coverage, Call Setup Time (CST), Mean Opinion Score (MOS), and 3G Data Throughput.

The results revealed inconsistencies in service delivery across all three telecom providers, prompting calls for urgent improvements.

Key areas, spectrum 

Citing key areas and economically significant towns from the presentation like Amasaman and East Legon, Mr George, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, emphasised that while telcos had expanded their coverage, the quality of service had sharply declined, with parts of the capital city experiencing blackouts and poor 4G performance.

“In Q3, I'm going to ask the NCA to literally do a whole nationwide test in every district capital. And on the basis of that result, if we don't see improvements, we will have to start taking decisive action to ensure that the quality of service is met for the customers,” he said. 

The minister disclosed that the spectrum had already been offered, and operators had a strict 30-day window-ending by June 30 to complete the acceptance process.

Therefore, by the end of December, Mr George stated that operators would be expected to show significant improvements in quality of service, directly linked to the newly allocated spectrum. 

Importantly, he stressed that these fines wouldn't simply be absorbed by the regulator-instead, about 40 per cent of any fines imposed on defaulting telcos would be returned to the affected consumers, either through bonus data or call time, ensuring that the public is tangibly compensated for poor service.

“We know you can’t complete upgrades in three months, but we must see that the process has begun. The Ghanaian people must feel the impact of the spectrum rollout by the end of this year,” he added.

Data pricing 

On the issue of data pricing, the minister recalled that a committee was set up in February to chart a strategic course toward reducing data costs—not through immediate price cuts, but by developing a roadmap that would lead to a gradual reduction over time. He clarified that the aim was not to cause a shock to the ecosystem that could jeopardize investment planning or industry viability. Instead, the approach will be staggered, beginning with improvements in value—for instance, by offering more data for the same price rather than slashing tariffs outright.

Measures 

The heads of the three major telecommunications companies outlined significant measures aimed at enhancing service quality and customer satisfaction.

The MTN Ghana CEO, Stephen Blewett, announced a $230 million investment in 2024 to boost network infrastructure and IT systems, with additional capital expenditure pending approval. Acknowledging customer service issues, he revealed plans to open 300 new franchise stores, particularly in underserved areas, and recruit 400 new front-facing staff with a GH¢ 25 million internal budget. He also noted upcoming self-service options like SIM swaps and PIN resets, designed with strong identity verification to prevent fraud.

The Chief Operating Officer, Telecel Ghana Mohamad Ghaddar  reaffirmed the company’s commitment to superior customer experience, saying the network is being optimized around the clock. Although Telecel has received some spectrum, he stressed the need for more to meet growing demand. The company, added, was expanding its network, with over 400 shops in operation and plans to add 100 more. He also highlighted support services for persons with special needs and welcomed feedback from the regulator.

The CEO of AT, Leo Skarlatos, recognising the public as the ultimate stakeholder in the company, announced that AT was undergoing significant network improvements, which will become clearly visible by the first quarter of the following year. He assured stakeholders of substantial progress across key performance areas by that time and expressed confidence in the transformation underway extending an open invitation for stakeholders to witness the improvements firsthand early next year.