Telecel Ghana has called on the National Communications Authority (NCA) to maintain stringent regulatory oversight to ensure a balanced telecommunications market, amid mounting debates over dominance by industry giant MTN.
The appeal came during a high-level meeting between Telecel executives and the NCA’s new Acting Director-General, Reverend Ing. Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko, as the regulator faces scrutiny over its handling of market competition.
Telecel’s Chief Operating Officer, Mohamad Ghaddar, led a delegation to congratulate Fianko on his recent appointment, replacing Brigadier General Joe Kupolati, and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to upgrading its network to better serve consumers. Discussions centered on critical issues like Quality of Service (QoS), Telecel’s expansion plans, and the contentious designation of MTN as a Significant Market Power (SMP)—a label intended to curb monopolistic practices but criticized for uneven enforcement.
Fianko, signaling closer collaboration with Telecel as it cements its position as Ghana’s second-largest telecom operator, stressed that cooperation between regulators and service providers ultimately benefits consumers. “Our relationship must translate to tangible gains for the public,” he remarked, inviting Telecel to actively contribute to NCA’s policy consultations. The meeting underscores Telecel’s strategic push to challenge MTN’s dominance, which has persisted despite regulatory measures.
SMP Debate Takes Center Stage
The talks follow fiery remarks by Sam George, Minister-Designate for Communications, who accused the previous administration of mishandling MTN’s SMP status. During his parliamentary vetting in January, George argued that the NPP government weaponized the SMP framework—originally designed to level the playing field—as a punitive tool, ironically allowing MTN to further entrench its market share. “The SMP should foster competition, not punish investors,” George asserted, pledging to recalibrate the approach under the Mahama-led administration.
MTN was labeled an SMP in 2020 after controlling 57% of Ghana’s voice market and 67% of data services. The designation empowered the NCA to impose corrective measures, such as price caps and infrastructure-sharing mandates. Yet MTN’s latest reports reveal continued growth: a 10.8% rise in mobile subscribers, 17.3% surge in active data users, and 18.1% growth in Mobile Money users, now totaling 17 million. Critics argue these figures expose the ineffectiveness of current SMP policies, which have failed to dent MTN’s dominance while smaller players like Telecel and AirtelTigo struggle to gain ground.
For Telecel, which acquired Vodafone Ghana’s operations in 2023, the meeting with the NCA signals a bid to leverage regulatory support for its expansion. The company has prioritized network upgrades and customer-centric innovations, but faces an uneven battle against MTN’s entrenched infrastructure and financial muscle. Industry analysts note that without robust enforcement of SMP rules—such as stricter data pricing regulations or mandatory network access for rivals—the market’s asymmetry will persist.
“Regulators walk a tightrope,” said telecom expert Nana Ama Boateng. “Over-regulate, and you stifle investment; under-regulate, and monopolies flourish. Ghana’s challenge is crafting policies that incentivize competition without alienating key players.”
As the NCA under Fianko navigates these pressures, all eyes are on whether the regulator will heed calls from Telecel and policymakers to revive the SMP framework’s original intent. For consumers, the stakes are clear: a competitive market drives down costs, improves service quality, and sparks innovation. For now, the ball rests in the regulator’s court—and the clock is ticking.