The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Hon. Sam Nartey George, has pushed back against rising public outrage over fast-depleting mobile data, stating that the issue could largely be on smartphone settings and new app technologies rather than the telecom operators.
Speaking in Accra amid growing complaints across the country, the minister acknowledged the frustration of consumers who say their mobile data is vanishing at an alarming rate—even after recent policy changes aimed at improving affordability. But he stressed that a joint investigation conducted with the National Communications Authority (NCA) and telecom companies revealed that the root cause lies in the background activities of modern mobile applications.
“People have failed to realise that the new apps have artificial intelligence, and all of those things in there are different from the apps you were using 5-8 years ago,” Hon. George explained. “When you download an app today, it requests permission for all kinds of things, and people don’t read them.”
The controversy erupted after a new telecom pricing policy took effect on July 1, 2025, following months of stakeholder consultations. The ministry directed major telecom providers to implement reforms aimed at giving consumers more value:
- MTN Ghana was instructed to increase data volume across all packages by 15%.
- AirtelTigo and AT Ghana were asked to boost data bundles by 10%.
- MTN also reinstated the popular ₵399 bundle, offering 214 GB of data.
“These measures were designed to ensure affordability and fairness,” the minister said during a press briefing. “We engaged telecom CEOs and stakeholders to make this happen for the Ghanaian people.”
However, users soon reported that their data still vanished quickly, with no noticeable improvement in browsing time or streaming performance.
In response to accusations that the government was shielding telecom providers, Hon. Sam George defended his approach, stating that Ghana’s pro-business stance under President Mahama does not permit knee-jerk sanctions against companies over online complaints.
“I cannot go around punishing companies because someone has done a tweet,” he stated. “The president says Ghana is open for business—we can’t be fighting businesses.”
However, he also made it clear that consumer protection remains a top priority.
“I am committed to protecting the rights of citizens and will continue to investigate issues once someone makes an allegation or complaint,” he assured.
The minister disclosed that he personally monitors complaints made on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and actively engages the NCA and telcos to resolve them.
“The record is there on X. When the issue popped up, I tagged the NCA. Sometimes I screenshot individual complaints and forward them for investigation,” he said.
In a separate interaction with digital media practitioners, Hon. Sam George even shared evidence of his direct communication with officials at the NCA and telecom industry leaders, including feedback and investigation reports on specific user complaints.
While ruling out a regulatory clampdown for now, the minister called on Ghanaians to improve their digital literacy and scrutinise the permissions they grant apps.
He warned that modern applications are more data-intensive due to artificial intelligence and automatic updates and suggested that people adjust their phone settings, disable background data, and limit autoplay functions on video apps like TikTok and Instagram.
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