The Chief Corporate Sustainability Officer at MTN, Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe, has reaffirmed the company’s commitment to addressing cybersecurity crimes and fraudulent activities affecting its network.
Ms. Wiafe emphasized MTN’s dedication to collaborating with external stakeholders, including the government, parliament, and regulators, to enhance the quality of network services.
She made this assertion during a visit by members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communications to MTN House, where they experienced the company’s activities and operations firsthand.
“We aimed to show our parliamentarians our network operations and how we manage and monitor the system. After engaging with them in parliament a few weeks ago, they asked questions about network performance. To address their queries, we brought them to our Network Operating Centre to see firsthand how we monitor the network and the upgrades we are implementing to enhance service quality for our customers,” Ms. Wiafe explained.
The visit also covered issues related to pre-registered SIM cards, data pricing, and MTN’s designation as a company with Significant Market Power (SMP). The National Communications Authority (NCA) has classified MTN as an SMP to promote fair competition and protect consumer interests in the telecommunications sector.
The NCA monitors MTN’s prices to ensure fairness and prevent predatory pricing that could harm consumers and stifle competition. Regarding pre-registered SIM cards, Ms. Wiafe stated, “We are working with the NCA to address the problem, and we are also looking at our internal systems to resolve any issues. Collaboration with the NCA is essential to addressing this.”
On MTN’s SMP designation, Ms. Wiafe noted, “The NCA has released a press statement explaining the reasons behind our current data prices. They highlighted that our data prices are among the lowest in the sub-region of Africa. Due to our SMP status, our data prices need to be higher than those of our competitors to promote competition. This pricing structure aims to enhance market competition and is in the public’s interest.”
Regarding price adjustments, Ms. Wiafe emphasized, “The regulator has a duty to the public, and it is something they are performing. We have to comply and collaborate with them to improve the industry.”
The Deputy Ranking Member on Communications, Sam George, urged the government to focus on reducing data prices for young people and businesses, who are currently struggling with high costs.
By Eugene Davis
