Sierra Leone News: NATCOM to Address Communication Access Gap
By Joseph S. Margai, Strategic Communications Coordinator (Office of the President)
National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM) in collaboration with the Universal Access Development Fund (UADF), has embarked on conducting communication access gap survey nationwide, which aimed at addressing the problems of communication access in the country.
The move, according to Smart Kokofele, NATCOM’s Deputy Director of Consumer and Industry Affairs, is a remedial measure which is aimed at addressing the problems of mobile and internet penetration in the country.
“When the survey is completed, NATCOM and UADF would utilize the data collected to encourage mobile network operators (MNOs) to leverage their services/ investments in identified areas with limited or no mobile access,” he said, adding that the findings would also be used by MNOs in developing their expansion plan.
He said that conducting an access gap survey is a prerequisite for an effective strategy for the rolling out of Universal Access Service Initiatives.
“Countries like Kenya, Uganda and Ghana have adopted a similar measure as a first step approach to solve communication challenges in their unserved and underserved communities,” he noted.
He stated that to foster coordination and collaboration among MNOs, NATCOM has been involved in ensuring that MNOs improve on their interconnection arrangements with the aim of softening the problems usually experienced by consumers during the utilisation of their services.
According to the Deputy Director of Consumer and Industry Affairs, this move came as a response to fluctuation in Quality of Service (QOS) during interconnection, and the inability displayed by those concerned to amicably handle the challenges.
He said MNOs are mandated, pursuant to section 47 of the 2006 Telecommunications Act as amend, to ensure inter-operability and accessible amongst networks.
He disclosed that a delegation, headed by the Deputy Director-General of NATCOM, Daniel B Kaitibi, is currently in the Hungarian capital of Budapest to attend this year’s “International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Telecom World 2019”.
He noted that the engagement, which brings together representatives from regulatory bodies and Tech companies, creates a platform and an opportunity for regulators and MNOs across the world, to engage in meaningful discussions on how to improve the information, communication and technology (ICT) landscape and broadband penetration opportunities and challenges.
He said the delegation from Sierra Leone will articulate the nation’s domestic ICT challenges, and in the same way, markets Sierra Leone’s investment opportunities especially that which exist in the ICT sector.
