The Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Sam Nartey George, is set to hold a press briefing tomorrow, June 10, to provide updates on digital pricing and mobile data costs in the country.
The media engagement, scheduled for 2:00 PM at the Ministry, follows a surge of public complaints over recent broadband price hikes by major network providers.
Tensions have been especially high online, where users have criticized sudden data price increases without prior notice. One frustrated user wrote,
“Telecel Ghana just increased their broadband data prices without even informing customers. But @samgeorgegh said data prices would go down, we all Dey here. Start of the week paaaa.”
The post reflects a growing sentiment among Ghanaians who feel disconnected from the pricing decisions that directly affect their access to the digital world.
Earlier, the Minister acknowledged the pressure on consumers and promised prices will fall soon. However, he insisted that the government would not act based on sentiment or social media pressure.
He revealed that a 23-member Inter-Agency Data Pricing Committee had completed 14 days of deliberation and developed a roadmap to reform data pricing in the country. According to him, the Ministry is currently executing this roadmap with careful attention to policy sequencing and technical realities.
He explained that the first step would be a movement on value, where consumers would receive more data for the same price. This would be followed by a reduction in the actual price of data packages, and then improvements in service quality. The Minister stressed the importance of ensuring that network alternatives are strong enough before price changes affect dominant providers.
“If you want me to move from network A because you’ve made them more expensive, is network B going to give me the quality of service I want?” he asked, highlighting the need for balance and fairness in policy enforcement.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has sent a team to Ghana to conduct an independent baseline study. This assessment, the Minister said, would provide reliable data to guide the next phases of pricing policy. “As we speak currently, the ITU is doing its own baseline study. But I believe that we should see, in the very, very short term—in a matter of weeks, less than a month—some movement on value,” Mr. George said.
He added that following improvements in data value, the next target would be the actual cost of data, and eventually, the quality of service. “If today you were getting 100 gig for a certain price, value would mean that you could get more than 100 gig at the same price. Price would mean that the cost of that 100 gig drops. And then quality is about making sure the service you’re paying for actually delivers,” he explained.