The Government of Ghana has provided an extra spectrum to Vodafone and MTN Ghana amid the increased pressure on bandwidth following the spike in data usage in recent times.
Internet data usage has astronomically increased due to the Coronavirus-induced lockdown of parts of Ghana which has compelled a majority of Ghanaians to stay home.
As a result of the lockdown and social distancing as a way to stop the spread of the deadly COVID-19 meetings are mostly done online whereas some as a measure to reduce boredom, most of these people at home spend time getting in touch with friends and loved ones online thereby increasing the bandwidth of internet data consumption.
According to the Ministry of Communication, the extra spectrum is being given MTN and Vodafone at no cost and will last for three months.
“The President has directed that the NCA should give more bandwidth to telcos during this period for free and that has been done,” the Minister of Communication, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
“That has been given to the two telcos that are bearing the brunt of it; Vodafone and MTN,” she added.
Meanwhile, there have several calls from the general public for telcos in Ghana to waive there internet data prices to help Ghanaians stay online as they stay home amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.
After several calls from some Civil Society Organisation (CSOs), groups and leaders of political parties for telecommunication industries to reduce the cost of internet data and calls to mitigate the fight against the coronavirus pandemic
According to Chief Executive Officer of the chamber, Ken Ashigbey his outfit has rolled out some interventions to support Ghanaians in this crisis period in terms of data and talk time.
In an interview with ABC News, CEO of Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Ken Ashigbey said telcos in the country have decided to absorb the data costs associated with visits to critical websites that provide information on COVID-19 awareness and safety protocols.
According to Ken Ashigbey, websites like the Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Information, and other Government of Ghana portals that provides essential information to citizens have all been zero-rated, meaning no data costs to consumers when they visit these sites.
