(Ecofin Agency) - The National Communications Authority (NCA) is setting new conditions to facilitate telecom interconnections between operators. The guidelines for disconnecting telecom connections were released on the NCA’s website on Thursday, July 18.

The NCA has published the "Guidelines on Procedure for Granting Approval to Disconnect Telecommunications Service Operators" on its official website.
The guidelines are available for download at the following link: https://t.co/jFuHNu2GMm pic.twitter.com/yIoTXEijMX

— NCA Ghana (@NCAGhana) July 19, 2024

Under the new framework, telecom operators seeking to terminate existing connection agreements must first obtain authorization from the NCA. The authority will review requests based on criteria such as outstanding debts and payment histories. Affected parties and the public must be notified before any disconnection takes place. The framework also includes measures to ensure service providers meet their financial obligations and outlines the conditions for reconnecting services.

This collaborative framework coincides with the government's efforts to enhance national roaming policies, aimed at improving telecom service access for the population. In its first-quarter 2024 financial results, MTN Ghana reported its commitment to fostering national roaming partnerships with competitors. The company has already signed a long-term agreement with AT (formerly AirtelTigo), effective from January 2024, and is finalizing negotiations with Telecel (formerly Vodafone).

According to NCA, these guidelines are designed to ensure fair competition among licensees, communication network operators, and public communications service providers, while protecting consumer interests, including their choice, service quality, and value for money.