Communications Minister Sam Nartey George has announced that mobile data prices in Ghana will soon be reduced, as the government moves to implement a comprehensive roadmap focused on affordability and value for consumers.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr. George admitted that earlier efforts to slash data costs had failed due to poor policy execution. He noted that despite some global reports positioning Ghana as relatively affordable for mobile data, many citizens still find access unaffordable when compared to their income levels.
“The average cost of 1GB of mobile data, about GHS17 ($1.37), is nearly equivalent to Ghana’s daily minimum wage of GHS19.97 ($1.61),” he said. “That makes consistent internet access difficult for many Ghanaians.”
Policy Roadmap
The Minister outlined that a 23-member Inter-Agency Data Pricing Committee, after 14 days of discussions, developed a data pricing roadmap now being implemented. The strategy is built on three pillars: price, quality, and value.
He emphasized that pricing reforms will not be rushed or based on public sentiment. Rather, the Ministry is committed to a data-driven process, ensuring that network alternatives are reliable before major pricing interventions affect dominant telecom providers.
“If you want me to move from Network A because they’re more expensive, is Network B going to give me the quality of service I want?” Mr. George asked.
More Data for the Same Price
As part of the strategy, users can expect more value for money, more gigabytes for the same price.
“If today you get 100GB for a certain amount, value means you should get more than that at the same price,” Mr. George explained.
ITU Involvement
To support this effort, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has deployed a team to Ghana to conduct an independent evaluation. This assessment will guide future pricing decisions and ensure affordability policies are backed by “hard-core data and evidence.”
