The National Communications Authority (NCA) has released its Quality of Service (QoS) Monitoring Plan for March and April, 2018 with the goal of improving and enhancing telecommunication Services across the country.

The released plan which is part of Phase 1 of the Monitoring indicates the regions the NCA will be conducting field QoS Monitoring and the number of district capitals to be covered.

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), per their licence, have an obligation to cover all District Capitals and ensure that there is service availability in these areas.

A statement issued by the NCA explained that the decision to monitor QoS follows a meeting the Authority had with the MNOs to discuss and implement measures on Quality of Service.

“All the regions in Ghana will be monitored from March to May 2018; this phase will cover Ashanti, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern and Western Regions.

“The service attributes to monitor include coverage obligations, voice quality and data quality as stated in their licence conditions and with specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

“All 3G Licence Holders are required to provide service in all 216 District Capitals. MNOs were expected to meet and exceed their obligations in their licences” the statement said.

Speaking to the issue, the Director General of the NCA, Mr. Joe Anokye said it was an obligation for both the Regulator and the Service Provider to ensure that consumers are able to make and receive calls and as well, use data services in a convenient manner. He said, communication services had become so pervasive that it is unimaginable to think of living one’s life and conducting business without having access to telecommunication services.

He referred to the NCA’s decision to permit MNOs with 2G Licences to deploy Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS), which is a 3G technology, was to improve voice and data services in unserved and underserved communities across the country.

The Director-General said per the plan, the results of the field monitoring would be shared with the MNOs for them to review and for reconciliation to be done.

The reports would then be converted and shared with the public for them to know and understand the various issues affecting the delivery of quality of telecommunication services.

In situations where the issue has to do with poor service due to unavailability of masts and towers or terrain, the community would be engaged to enable them to understand the issues.

NCA will work with the MNOs to cure the identified gaps within a stated timeframe and another monitoring would then be done to confirm if the issues have been resolved or otherwise and appropriate actions taken.

These may include sanctions against the MNOs in fines or compensations to their customers.

The MNOs in their meeting with the NCA earlier on this month, said that site acquisitions for masts and towers and rampant fibre cuts remained their biggest challenges.

Concluding, Mr. Anokye said he was hopeful that these measures would result in improved service and enhance consumer satisfaction