Ghanaians are outraged by a sudden surge in mobile data rates this month from major telecom companies like MTN, operating in the West African nation.
With latest introduced rates, consumers of companies like MTN will have to pay almost $4 for 1G of mobile data.
In a country where incomes or earnings of ordinary people are very low, that is extremely expensive for some and could cut many offline.
A recent report by the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) revealed that Ghana was among some middle-income countries that pay higher rates to be connected to the internet.
Ghana is also one of the countries to have the least affordable internet prices in the world, according to A4AI data.
The A4AI defines affordability of data as 1GB of mobile broadband data costing not more than 2% of average monthly income.
However the report showed that the average across Africa is 7.12% of average monthly income. In Ghana data showed that 1GB of mobile data costs over 2% of average monthly earnings of people.
Although compared to other African countries like Central African Republic, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo, it cost cheaper to be connected to the internet in Ghana, only the wealthiest can afford to be constantly connected.
Consumers in Ghana are not just outraged by new rates introduced by the telcos without prior notice but in many instances, connectivity is just awful.
Anger from consumers
On social media, many of the consumers have expressed anger with a trending hashtag #SaveOurData.
What is happening to our telcos nowadays. Everything is now messed up. The exploitation is deep.
Yesterday i bought 3cedis bundle via the MoMo menu. #SaveOurData pic.twitter.com/jlpCM3QxnU— BossKid (@MyLifeMyWahala) December 2, 2019
Telcos in Ghana are in an abusive relationship with customers.
The arbiters (Regulatory Bodies and Communications Ministry) have taken sides.
We the abused have for once decided to speak up.
#SaveOurData or see us walk out to #SaveOurData
— Saddick Adams (@SaddickAdams) December 2, 2019
#SaveOurData
The average Ghanaian spends too much.. way too much on data as compared to our brothers and sisters in other countries. The NCA and Telcos should do something about this. Money no dey saa o wey the small we get too we dey spend all on common data. That’s ridiculous!— Lawyer Ntikateche Bombay Isaiah (@ntimination) December 2, 2019
I can’t say I’m entirely shocked as a consumer bearing the brunt of Telcos ‘naturally’ shifting cost onto users. It was always coming but at this point the triggers, regardless how they’re sourced, must be addressed and by Govt and the Telcos. #SaveOurData
— Nyfa ?? (@Kotokovski) December 2, 2019
If Ghanaians should save the huge amount of money we spend on data. I bet you most Ghanaians would be rich! Huge data charges, useless unstable network and data connection. #SaveOurData
— MR. GENTLEMAN (@obiba_brown) December 2, 2019
As a #blogger, the worse part is to ever run out of data, you end using your last dime for internet data and rather stay hungry.. Not many clients are ready to pay what’s due us, and top of it, the telcos are milking it bad!.. All we asking for? #SaveOurData
— Kobby Blay (@kobbyblay) December 2, 2019
Source: Africafeeds.com
