Sulemana Adama, the Member of Parliament for Tain, emphasized the necessity of establishing robust structures to mitigate the challenges plaguing the telecommunications industry. He stressed the importance of fair market share distribution among industry players to foster an environment conducive to healthy competition. Adama shared these insights during an interview on the Adekyee Mu Nsem morning show on Ahotor 92.3 FM, hosted by Citizen Kofi Owusu in Accra.
While acknowledging the government’s stance on the internet situation in the country, Adama urged for clarity regarding the companies the government intends to involve in rectifying the situation.
In a related development, the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, announced the government’s intention to license the satellite internet network Starlink for operation in Ghana. This move forms part of the government’s strategy to address internet disruptions.
During a briefing in Parliament on March 18, Owusu-Ekuful outlined the government’s efforts, stating, “We have licensed satellite gateway air stations, landing rights, and satellite air station networks. OneWeb has already obtained a license, while Starlink is in the licensing process, with other operators encouraged to establish operations in Ghana.”
She emphasized the need to leverage RASCOM, the Regional African Satellite Company, to enhance connectivity across the continent, instead of individual countries pursuing isolated initiatives.
Owusu-Ekuful also advised organizations to safeguard their content, databases, applications, and services by utilizing tier-three or tier-four data centers within the country, preferably located in different regions. She recommended the National Data Center as a primary or backup recovery data host.
The minister highlighted the evolution of the regulatory framework for satellite licensing in Ghana, citing the establishment of a comprehensive framework by the National Communications Authority (NCA) to govern satellite services. This framework delineates licensing requirements, categories of satellite services, and associated fees.
In December 2023, the ministry cautioned against purchasing services from Starlink due to its lack of licensing in Ghana, citing legal provisions under the Electronic Communications Act 2008.
Owusu-Ekuful assured the public of due diligence in evaluating Starlink’s operations and expressed readiness to issue an operating license to improve internet accessibility. She acknowledged the current costliness of Starlink’s services and pledged to engage with other sector players to ensure affordability across various economic demographics.
“We’re actively pursuing discussions on affordable backhaul satellite solutions with all satellite service providers under the auspices of the ITU. Recent events will catalyze these discussions towards viable solutions,” Owusu-Ekuful affirmed.
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