Give 4G internet space to only indigenous companies - ICT Chamber demands

The Ghana ICT Chamber is making a case for the 4th Generation – 4G, Long Term Evolution – LTE Internet licences to be given only to indigenous companies.

This, in the chamber’s view is crucial given that the spectrum can be used to develop the local ICT industry.

The call follows a recent announcement by the Director-General of the National Communications Authority William Teyvie that the licenses are available to both local and foreign firms.

Speaking at an ICT forum Thursday, Chief Executive of the Chamber, Paul Adom Otchere insisted, that granting the licence solely to local companies would ultimately drive prices down.

He stated that the chamber is worried about the “conduct, posture and the major shift in position of the NCA relating to this auction could occasion significant loss of investment and loss of opportunity to create a giant Ghanaian ICT section similar to what pertains in the United States, what they have in England and in South Africa.”

Currently, three wholly-owned Ghanaian companies provide 4G data-only services in Ghana – Surfline, Goldkey and Blue Telecom – after licenses for the service under the 2600MHz was rolled out 2 years ago.

As part of efforts to migrate from analogue to digital, the new and much better spectrum of 800MHz has been made available as has been anticipated.

The NCA has therefore commenced an auction process to enable it deploy this improved spectrum across the country.

The chamber is accusing the NCA saying it has gone back on its words because “when the spectrum was 2000 MHz the NCA said as a matter of policy the spectrum was going to be left for Ghanaians only. Now in the eligibility criteria, for this 800MHz, the NCA is saying that all foreign companies can bid.”

This the chamber says is “travesty of justice and amounts to selling our heritage away to people who are not Ghanaians in a spectrum, and environment and an industry that can create a lot for the Ghanaian people.”

Mr. Adom Otchere explained that nowhere in the world is the spectrum given to a foreign company.

He made reference to a recent radio interview, where the Communications Minister Dr. Omane Boamah reportedly said the government requires 83 million dollars to complete the analogue to digital migration and that the resources garnered from this option will be applied for that purpose.

Mr. Otchere insists that a local consortium of like minds will be able to raise that money to pay for the migration and then hopefully acquire both the 800MHz spectrum that are currently available. Indigenization he said is the way to go.