Ghana Parliament Summons Mobile Operators Over Expensive Data

Ghanaian mobile subscribers are not entirely happy with the countries mobile operators and their displeasure has led to mobile operators being called to Parliament to explain themselves.

Back in October, Ghana’s government ordered telcos to stop selling data and voice bundles that expire:

All unused data and voice bundles purchased by subscribers do not expire and must be rolled over with the next recharge

Ghanaian Ministry of Communications to mobile operators

The move to have data bundles that don’t expire was meant to offset a new regulation that saw subscribers pay an extra service tax every time they bought airtime but after the tax was reduced operators are still charging exorbitant prices on expiring data which has led to a public outcry.

This outcry is what has led to the calling of mobile operators in Ghana before the parliament in order to explain high data costs prevailing in the country.

Regulatory institutions on the African continent seem to be taking issue with the price of mobile data with South Africa’s competition commission also ordering that MTN & Vodacom -the two largest mobile operators in SA- reduce cost of mobile data by 30%-50%. The Zambian government also proposed a ban on expiring bundles