NCA is to blame for internet disruptions - Sam George

The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, has attributed the recent internet disruptions in Ghana to the failure of regulatory oversight.

According to him, the National Communications Authority (NCA), which is the regulatory body, failed to implement necessary mechanisms and redundancies that could have mitigated the impact of the undersea fibre optic cable disruption.

The effect of the disruption of the undersea fibre optic cables, that provide internet connectivity, hit Ghana on the dawn of Friday, March 15, 2024.

Ever since, the NCA and the two major telecommunication networks affected by this: MTN and Telecel, have come out with statements indicating that they are working to ensure that the internet is restored to full capacity as soon as possible.

In a video shared by Joy News, the MP, during a session in parliament, criticised the NCA for not being proactive like its Ivorian counterpart, which he credits for Cote d'Ivoire's quicker recovery from similar disruptions.

“Mr Speaker, I hold the view that we are where we are simply because the regulator that works under the minister failed to do their job; the responsibility rests with the regulator.

"This is not about another country or force majeure. A regulator doing its job would have put in place the mechanisms and the redundancies that would allow us to be prepared for this instance,” he stated.

The Ningo-Prampram MP further stated that while some operators like AT have managed to maintain service through alternative links, such as those in Nigeria, the NCA failed to follow.

This, according to him, should be a standard contingency plan monitored by the regulator for all operators.

“Mr. Speaker, the cut happened over the coast of Cote d'Ivoire. It became the most impacted country on Thursday. As we speak today, Cote d'Ivoire’s recovery is ahead of Ghana simply because their regulator has put in place the right mechanism.

“In the case of AT, it is simply able to carry traffic because they have redundancy using the Nigerian link. But is that not supposed to be the prerequisite for all the other operators in the country? Who is supposed to monitor that? It is the regulator,” he stated.

He continued that “... So, if the regulator has slept in his job and today we are found in this position, and then we want to raise our hands in the air, other countries that were affected have recovered or are recovering faster than Ghana. This is because their regulators are proactive.”

Sam George also accused the NCA of aligning too closely with the Ghana Chamber of Telecoms, prioritizing the telecom industry over the rights and interests of Ghanaian citizens and customers.

He called for the NCA to provide clear remedial actions and regulatory policies to protect consumers, rather than merely echoing the statements of the telecom chamber.

“Our regulator today is competing with the Ghana Chamber of Telecom, which serves the interests of the telecoms and is their advocate. The NCA is supposed to be an advocate for the rights of Ghanaian citizens and customers. The four updates that were put up by the NCA are simply mirroring the statement of the Chamber of Telecoms. They don't tell us what remedial action by way of regulatory policy is being put in place for the Ghanaian customer. They are only telling us what the problems are,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has indicated that international network provider, Starlink, is in the process of gaining a license to operate in the country.

Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.

NW/AE

Click here to follow the GhanaWeb General News WhatsApp channel