Tell Us Why Mobile Data Is So Expensive — Johnnie Hughes ‘Bites’ Ursula Owusu, NCA

Ursula Owusu-Ekuful

Outspoken broadcaster with TV3, Johnnie Hughes has tasked the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful and the National Communications Authority (NCA) to come out with explanations on why the internet data has become ridiculously expensive in Ghana.

According to him, charges on mobile data in Ghana currently are expensive compared to many African countries. He wondered why the sector Ministry and the NCA have been uncommunicative about the issue.

“This morning I have two questions, which I'm sure many people are also worried about. Why is mobile data so expensive? And why is the regulator quiet?,” he questioned on Jonnie's Bite, a segment on the TV3 New Day morning show intended to criticize the government for possible solutions.

Johnnie Hughes said aside from the high charges on the mobile data by the telecom companies, the consumption rate is equally unbearable for the ordinary consumer and admonished that the regulatory bodies must come out clear with every detail they know about the current happenings.

“So I want to say good morning to our Minister of Communications, Hon. Ursula Owusu Ekufful; and I want to say good morning to my guys at the NCA. I'm just greeting you this morning and asking you why data is so expensive. Perhaps you have answers we don't know, but answers you've not given us, we want to know, we want to understand

“Are you the cause of our woes, and that you're on the nerves of the telcos so they also would have to pass on the cause to us, or is it the telcos that are squeezing us, or is it us that are misusing data and crying wolf, or is data generally expensive, or could it be cheaper? These are the questions that I want to ask this morning,” he said.

Explaining the basis of his many queries, Johnnie Hughes said we are in a time where data is paramount to everyone especially students and teachers who depend/use it for research purposes.

He underscored the importance of making mobile data cheaper and reachable to all as according to him, even teachers will rely on mobile data before they could enjoy the TM1 laptops that were recently distributed to them by the government.

Johnnie Hughes said though the Communications Ministry has outlined pivotal roles being played by the government in the development of a robust framework to support the digitisation of the economy in a manner that captures and benefits every citizen, it can never be achieved if mobile data continues to be this expensive.

“Everybody is talking about data. We are talking about digitalisation. We have given each teacher one laptop, we expect them to use data, are we providing them data for example? I don't know. We expect children to use their tablets and all to access education

“If we are talking about digitalisation it means that we'll need data to be able to internet, surf and research and all of that. Schools are reopening, we are talking about Wi-Fi in schools, right? Whether it's a fiction of our imagination or reality, I don't know.

“The children are returning to schools, Universities are reopening, data will be a mainstay especially in this covid era. People would have to download stuff, people will send their assignments, people will do Zoom meetings, Microsoft themes and all of that but the data is very expensive,” he fired.

He continued, “so why is data too expensive? And we are throwing this on the laps of the Minister for Communications. If you are closed by please call and tell her we are asking questions, Ghanaians are wondering why our data is too expensive. Will it ever get cheaper? This is a question we've asked this morning and we hope that we'll get answers.”

He added that sellers who were relying on the internet to market their products have all been stuck in recent times due to the ridiculously expensive charges on our mobile data.

Source: ghanaguardian.com

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