Address OTT, poor data concerns- GIFEC boss tells NCA

The Administrator Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), Mr. Kwabena Owusu Akyeampong, has called on the National Communications Authority (NCA), to impress upon the telecommunications companies to address the concerns of poor quality of data service delivery by consumers.

He made the call at the GIFEC ten-year anniversary celebration launch in Accra, as the Fund marks a decade of changing lives through the provision and enhancing accessibility of electronic communications.

The Administrator said undoubtedly, data was considered as the future and mounting complaints from consumers rightly underscores that assertion.

“We cannot as an industry allow, consumers to feel short changed when indeed the growth of the industry is hinged on their patronage. Of course the telecommunication operators need to take due note of these complainants and act accordingly.”

He said that it was crucial for the right mechanisms to be put in place to ensure ultimate consumer satisfaction across the divide.

Mr. Akyeampong also called on the NCA to swiftly address the growing number of complaints from telecommunications network operators that they face unfair competition from Over-The-Top (OTTs) providers, who were not subjected to the same regulatory burdens as the local operators.

He said that in the next few weeks, GIFEC would announce a grand project that would change the face of their operations and further enhance their quest to provide access to electronic communications.

The anniversary, being marked on the theme: "10 years of Bridging the Digital Divide in Ghana, GIFEC Experience," spans from Monday, May 23 to Friday, May 27 with activities, including symposiums, lectures, and medical outreach lined up.

In July 2004 the Government of Ghana set up Ghana Investment Fund for telecommunications (GIFTEL) as an agency of the Ministry of Communications to facilitate the provision of universal access to basic telephony by the unserved and underserved communities in the country.