Ghana’s telecom operators now face significantly stricter quality standards following new directives from the National Communications Authority (NCA).
The regulator, on February 15, 2026, announced revised Quality of Service (QoS) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that take immediate effect, replacing standards that have remained largely unchanged since 2004.
Under the updated framework, mobile network operators (MNOs) must maintain a Call Drop Rate (CDR) of less than 1%, down sharply from the previous threshold of ≤3%.
Telcos are also required to achieve a Call Connection Success Rate (CCSR) of more than 95%, with successful connections recorded in over 90% of operational cells across every Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assembly (MMDA).
For voice quality, the NCA has introduced a new benchmark: operators must deliver an average Mean Opinion Score (MOS) greater than 3.0 for 2G services to ensure acceptable call clarity.
The most substantial changes appear in the data performance requirements. The minimum average 3G download throughput has been raised to above 1 Mbps, a significant increase from the former session-based threshold of 256 kbps.
Messaging services have also come under tighter regulation. Operators must now guarantee at least 98% SMS/MMS delivery success rate, while ensuring delivery occurs within a maximum of five seconds.
In addition to performance targets, the NCA has introduced mandatory coverage obligations. Mobile operators are now required to extend network coverage to all constituent towns within every MMDA, moving beyond the previous encouragement to cover only district capitals. This requirement is now enforceable under licence conditions.
The Authority stated that it will ramp up monitoring efforts through field measurements, drive tests, and regular performance assessments to verify compliance.
“Operators that fail to meet these revised thresholds will face appropriate regulatory sanctions in line with their licence conditions and applicable laws,” the NCA warned.
The regulator also encouraged consumers experiencing persistent poor service quality to lodge formal complaints with the NCA for investigation.
According to the NCA, the amendments reflect advancements in technology, changing consumer expectations, and broader national policy goals aimed at delivering reliable and high-quality telecom services across the country.