NCA: "We will not be stampeded by any operator"

Accra, Sept. 16, GNA - The National Communications Authority (NCA) said on Tuesday that it would not allow itself to be stampeded by any operator to lose sight of its statutory responsibilities to be fair to operators, customers and the nation as a whole.

"For this reason, the NCA will not deviate from the declared balanced approach which, we consider to be the optimal pathway to maximise the interest of all stakeholders," it said.

This was contained in statement signed by Major J.R.K. Tandoh (rtd), Acting Director-General of NCA, on the dispute between Ghana Telecom and Spacefon on inter-connectivity rates and tariffs. The NCA said it would "in the very near future" come up with a comprehensive statement containing its ruling on various issues which were necessary "to create a harmonious environment for Ghana's communication industry".

The NCA said the agitation for the rationalisation or interconnect rates and tariffs were not new.

"Indeed, the NCA has been engaged for some months now in active consultation with the operators to find a balanced approach that ensures that the interests of all stakeholders in Ghana's communications industry are maximised."

The NCA said the portfolio interests include the adequate and sustainable funding requirements of operators to build, expand and sustain the nation's networks that would enable them to develop a wide array of services.

The other portfolio is that such services should be of high quality and provide consumers with good value for their money by enabling them to enhance their commercial productivity and quality of life at affordable prices.

The NCA said it had noted that following a meeting it initiated between Ghana Telecom and Spacefon on September 12, the accusations and counter accusations between the two companies have stopped although there continued to be intense media discussions on the issues. Ghana Telecom (GT) on Thursday said the NCA's mandate did not extend to regulating interconnectivity tariffs according to its operating licence.

Mr Oystein Bjorge, Chief Executive of the GT, told a press conference in Accra that rather, the rates charged by his company could be adjusted to reflect the tariff levels of the other networks and re-adjusted accordingly whenever the need arose.

The Chief Executive was reacting to allegations levelled against GT by Scancom, operators of Spacefon mobile network.

Touching on GT charges for both fixed and mobile networks as against revenues accruing to both operators, Mr Bjorge said it was incorrect to assert that the larger the number of subscribers, the bigger the revenue to the operator.

"GT's subscribers can call the alleged 400,000 subscribers of Spacefon and thus generate revenue for Spacefon and GT.

"The same trend applies to Spacefon subscribers. They can also call the 400,000 subscribers of GT and generate a higher level of revenue for Spacefon."