In a pivotal move to safeguard telecommunications integrity, Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA) has mandated American Tower Corporation (ATC) to swiftly reinstate power to Telecel Ghana’s network infrastructure. This directive follows a high-level meeting convened on Friday, July 5, 2024, involving the Ministry of Communication and Digitalisation and key stakeholders.
ATC Ghana has been instructed to reconnect all Telecel Ghana sites by midday on Saturday, July 6, 2024, and retract any public statements concerning Telecel Ghana.
The intervention by the NCA seeks to arbitrate the escalating dispute between Telecel Ghana and ATC Ghana, which erupted last week, threatening service continuity for Telecel Ghana’s customers.
In response to these developments, Telecel Ghana expressed appreciation to its customers for their patience and assured them of uninterrupted service delivery going forward.
The conflict between the companies arose when ATC Ghana suspended power supply to Telecel Ghana’s network equipment, alleging non-payment of contractual obligations.
Telecel Ghana swiftly refuted these claims, characterizing them as unfounded and indicating readiness to pursue legal avenues to protect its reputation and seek damages for any harm caused.
“Telecel Ghana reserves the right to utilize all legal means available to defend its brand and pursue compensation for damages resulting from ATC Ghana’s actions,” the telecom company asserted.
The standoff between Telecel Ghana and ATC Ghana could potentially impact Telecel’s market position, despite its ongoing efforts to solidify its foothold in the competitive Ghanaian market.
Telecel, the country’s second-largest telecom operator, reported a subscriber base of approximately 8.9 million users as of March 2024, trailing market leader MTN Ghana, which boasts 27.8 million customers according to Omdia data.
In a strategic expansion move last October, Telecel bolstered its network infrastructure by adding 300 new 4G sites and introducing 4G+ technology to enhance data speeds, aiming to enhance user experience and market competitiveness.