Ghana’s NCA updates QoS rules
- Details
- Category: Regulation
- 6214 views
Ghana’s regulator, the National Communications Authority (NCA), has announced revised key performance indicators (KPIs) for mobile telecommunications quality of service (QoS).
Described as stricter, measurable and legally binding performance thresholds for voice, data and messaging services, these revisions update KPIs in place since 2004, reflecting current technological advances, user consumption patterns and national policy objectives.
For voice services, the maximum allowable dropped call is now below 1%; it was previously set at less than or equal to 3%. More than 95% of attempted calls must now be successfully connected in at least 90% of operational cells in each Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly (MMDA – a top-tier local government authority). In addition, voice quality measured by mean opinion score (MOS) must exceed an average rating of 3 on 2G networks.
For data and messaging services, the average download speed on 3G networks must exceed one megabit per second (Mbps), replacing the previous session-based measurement. Operators must also ensure a minimum 98% delivery success rate for SMS and MMS, with delivery times not exceeding five seconds.
Network coverage is now mandatory in all localities within each MMDA.
According to the Ecofin news agency, the NCA plans to intensify monitoring, field testing and performance assessments to ensure compliance with the revised KPIs. Consumers experiencing persistent poor service quality will be able to file complaints through dedicated channels. Operators may face regulatory sanctions if they do not meet the new standards.
Regular readers will be aware that an apparently growing number of complaints about QoS have been reported in several African countries recently, possibly due to the rising expectations brought by ongoing digital transformation.
Indeed, some regulators have imposed repeated sanctions on non-compliant operators in recent years. Whether this approach works, however, is hard to say. As Ecofin and other have noted, despite investment pledges, service quality challenges persist.
