Lack of Spectrum Sharing hampering National Roaming

Techfocus24 has learnt that even though the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization (MoCD) pushed MTN into doing National Roaming with Vodafone and AirtelTigo, it is dragging its feet on granting approval for spectrum sharing to make the policy beneficial to consumers across the country.

The National Communications Authority NCA), under the auspices of the MoCD, compelled MTN to do National Roaming with Vodafone and AirtelTigo, mainly to allow the customers of the smaller players have access to MTN’s network in communities where the two players don’t have coverage and vice-a-versa.

National Roaming is just one of seven measures NCA is working with MTN to implement in respect of MTN’s status as the only significant market power (SMP) on the market. The other measures include a directive to MTN not to offer the lowest prices on the market. This led to MTN suspending its most affordable Data Zone bundles recently, amidst widespread public outcry.

MTN first piloted National Roaming with Vodafone in the Volta Region, covering a number 2G and 3G sites. Following the success of the pilot, the two telcos have signed one more year of national roaming on over 400 2G sites and more than 600 3G and 4G sites across parts of the country. They have also signed a new agreement with AirtelTigo as well.

But Techfocus24 learnt that since October 2022, the telcos have applied to the NCA for approval to do spectrum sharing so that they can roll out national roaming nationwide on all technologies to benefit the public, but till date they have not received approval.

A reliable source within the sector told Techfocus24, so far, the national roaming pilot has proven commercially viable to all parties, “But the real problem is that in order for National Roaming to be rolled out nationwide, we need the NCA to approve spectrum sharing. We have put this request to the NCA since October last year but they’ve not granted it. They claim it’s at the Ministry for approval.”

The source also stated that because of the lack of approval for spectrum sharing, National Roaming only applies to a handful of sites currently and that is not good enough.

“We as partners are ready to go all out, the only thing pending for a full-blown implementation is the approval of spectrum sharing. As of today, we’re roaming on 2G and 3G sites,” the source said.

It is not clear why the Ministry has been dragging its feet since October 2022, as it is the policy of the Ministry for telcos to do National Roaming as part of measures to correct the market imbalance following the declaration of MTN as SMP in June 2020.

Journalists for Business Advocacy (JBA) would therefore like to appeal to the Minister of Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful to expedite action on the approval of spectrum sharing for the telcos to roll out national roaming effectively across the country, to benefit all Ghanaians, particularly those in the unserved and underserved communities.

Source: techfocus24