As the call for more digital penetration intensifies, consumers of telecoms and internet services have engaged major GSM operators and internet service providers in a consumer parliament organised at the Great Hall of Njala University, Bo Campus.
The parliament was held the previous Friday and Chief Executive Officers of Telecoms Company: Africell, Q-cell, Sierratel, Zoodlab and the biggest and leading telecoms company Orange Sierra Leone were present. Chairman, Mobile companies’ regulator, NATCOM (National Telecommunications Commission), members of parliament, several dignitaries including Minister of Information and Communication attended the ceremony.
Different telecoms internet services consumers In Bo town and other communities were also present to tell the companies what they want from them as Sierra Leone is still rated at 18.05% of digital penetration.
Started in 2009, Consumer Parliament Platform, an initiative of NATCOM provides an ideal platform where consumers and GSM operators interact and proffer solutions for service enhancement.
The parliament initially was organised once every year, but plans exist to make it twice after it sopped five years back. CEO’s and representatives of various telecoms companies and internet service providers made statements at the occasion, and the message was common.
The message pinpoints what they have been doing to ensure an effective telecoms and internet services in the country, and plans for expansion. Orange Sierra Leone’s Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs, who represented the CEO, Haffie Haffner said her institution which had been in Sierra Leone for almost five years had a proved itself to be a willing investor with an ambition to democratise the internet.
She however pointed out that Sierra Leone still grappled with low internet penetration which however related to low penetration of smart phones.
“Sierra Leone has one of the lowest mobile penetration-64%, internet penetration-18%, and smart phone penetration-30% compared to other countries in the sub-region,” she said.
Africa, particularly Sierra Leone, Madam Haffner said, was on a catch-up trajectory with the US and European economies. She strongly believes that digital inclusion is a major accelerator for inclusive growth and economic development adding that it is a success factor in the Sustainable Development Goals, 2030.
For the last four years, Madam Haffner said, Orange Sierra Leone had played an integral role in the digital transformation of Sierra Leone,” she said.
“With an investment in excess of 1.4 trillion Leones, we have been at the forefront of connecting 7 million plus people,” she emphasised.
Orange Sierra Leone, she says, takes pride in 440 sites in the country noting that 100% of their sites at least is 3G compatible meaning one can access internet from every Orange site across the country.
“We have the widest network coverage of 74% of the population meaning 4 out of every 5 Sierra Leonean is an Orange Customer with access to voice and data services,” she said.
Madam Haffner also spoke on a number corporate philanthropic activities embarked on by Orange Sierra Leone with a particular mention of free on-line education portals established during Corona Virus pandemic.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman for NATCOM, Ambassador Joe Blell reminded the operators of NATCOM’S core function which is to licence and regulate the activities of GSM operators to ensure efficiency and fair competition. Ensuring an effective digital penetration, Ambassador Joe Blell said was also at the centre of the regulation.
“The regulation is geared towards ensuring expansion, progress and development of telecoms services in Sierra Leone. It is also about ensuring quality service, cyber-crime, and security and listening to consumer’s complaints,” Ambassador Blell emphasised.
NATCOM, he says, is part of the global community adding that the agency must adhere to international obligations.
“Sierra Leone has just returned home from the West African inter-organisation for telecommunications,” he said.
The NATCOM Chief also reminded participants that information and communication technology was not a child’s play adding the business of providing ICT service must be done as prescribed by the laws.
“Let us play the game as regulated by international conventions,” the Ambassador called on the GSM operators. He said before December, 2020, five new legislations came into effect adding that as part of the global community, consumers had to be protected through ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) and other international cyber-crime conventions.
Ambassador Blell also made it clear that NATCOM had been working with the Ministry of Information and Communication to have a law on cyber security which, he hopes, would not tamper with fundamental rights of citizens.
Through the collaboration of service providers, Mr Blell said, NATCOM had embarked on wide-ranging activities geared towards enhanced communication services in Sierra Leone. The NATCOM Head also spoke about the Universal Access Development Fund, a subsidiary of NATCOM which, he said, was charged with the responsibility of promoting access to effective communication services. In the provision of internet and communication services, Ambassador Blell called on GSM operators to pay great attention to rural communities.
“Sector players have done much towards the provision of internet services in rural areas, but much more has to be done,” he appealed.
Chairman, parliamentary oversight committee on information and communication, Honourable Boston Munda told participants that they were at the Consumer Parliament to support NATCOM in their effort to ensure that communication services reach the people.
He also reminded the participants that parliament makes laws in the best interest of the people through debates on policies and programmes for national development.
He also touched on the three key functions of parliament: law making, providing oversight and representing the people. Hon. Munda also told participants that parliament had ratified five regulations bordering on telecommunication services adding that their main concern is for customers to derive satisfaction from quality services.
“Customer retention is very much related to customer satisfaction. We pay our monies and must be satisfied,” he said.
The Member of Parliament reiterated that the consumers would not like to see dumped calls, internet problem and other communication challenges. He also emphasised that having telecoms companies matters, but the efficiency and quality of services provided matters most.
He called on stakeholders in the communication industry for a thorough education and fair play adding that parliament would soon ratify the cyber security law. Hon Munda also informed the audience that the Minister of Information and Communication was under instruction to raise awareness on the cyber security law to end misconceptions around the law.
The keynote address was delivered by the Minister of Information and Communication, Mohamed Rado Swarray. Mr Swarray informed participants that when the New Direction Government took over state governance in 2018, its ambition is to see that Sierra Leone is not left out in the digital revolution.
Quoting President Julius Maada Bio, he said, Sierra Leone had missed out on three major revolutions and should not miss out again on the fourth revolution-digitalisation. The minister made reference to Cluster3.5 of the National Mid-Term Development Plan which talks about the country’s competitiveness on digitalisation.
“Government has secured a US$30M loan to have a fibre backbone that will connect schools, health care centres and councils,” he assured. The aim for such connectivity, he said, was to ensure communication service reaches the last man.
“We have revamped and recalibrated the Universal Access Development Fund to connect rural communities,” he said.
The Minister however equally paid attention to holding service providers accountable on supply and demand sides. In as much as the Minister remains highly concerned about consumers’ rights, he also does not lose sight of the corresponding responsibilities.
“To every right, there must be concomitant responsibility,” the Minister opined.
Minister Swarray also commended the telecoms regulator for its role in ensuring customers get value for money. The Minister also spoke about the Cyber Bill which, he said, would soon be passed into law to protect the public from “cyber bullying.”
He said the police were highly constrained in their investigation in the absence of a cyber-law.
“Most times, the police have to rely on the Public Order Act, 1965 to charge those who commit cyber- crimes,” he said.
The minister made specific reference to section 35 of the bill which, he said, doomsday prophets misconstrued to create doubt within the public. The clause says anybody who wilfully and repeatedly communicates with any person to cause apprehension of fear commits a crime.
Mr Swarray assured the public that the privacy rights of citizens would be recognised and guaranteed through safeguards injected into the bill.
“We don’t want to see cyber bullying; we need a cyber-law now, tomorrow might be too late,” he summed it up.