• Login
NORVANREPORTS.COM |  Business News, Insurance, Taxation, Oil & Gas, Maritime News, Ghana, Africa, World
  • Home
  • News
    • General
    • Political
  • Economy
  • Business
    • Agribusiness
    • Aviation
    • Banking & Finance
    • Energy
    • Insurance
    • Manufacturing
    • Markets
    • Maritime
    • Real Estate
    • Tourism
    • Transport
  • Technology
    • Telecom
    • Cyber-security
    • Cryptocurrency
    • Tech-guide
    • Social Media
  • Features
    • Interviews
    • Opinions
  • Reports
    • Banking/Finance
    • Insurance
    • Budgets
    • GDP
    • Inflation
    • Central Bank
    • Sec/Gse
  • Lifestyle
    • Sports
    • Entertainment
    • Travel
    • Environment
    • Weather
  • NRTV
    • Audio
    • Video
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
NORVANREPORTS.COM |  Business News, Insurance, Taxation, Oil & Gas, Maritime News, Ghana, Africa, World
No Result
View All Result
Home highlights

NCA must get proactive with fight against Unsolicited Electronic Communication – NCR

4 years ago
in highlights, Home, home-news, latest News, Technology, Telecom
3 min read
0 0
0
NCA - norvanreports

NCA - norvanreports

79
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin

NCA must get proactive with fight against Unsolicited Electronic Communication – NCR

The Network of Communication Reporters (NCR) is calling on the National Communications Authority (NCA) to get proactive with the fight against Unsolicited Electronic Communication (UEC) and stop the widespread unapproved airtime charges by the telcos.

A statement signed by NCR Head of Public Relations, Samuel Dowuona said NCR believes that since NCA issued the UEC Code of Conduct in 2014, it has not done anything practically to ensure full compliance to the Code, hence, the mobile network operators (MNOs) and their value-added service (VAS) partners continue to violate the code and illegally charge subscribers’ airtime in the process.

No Consent

Section 16 of the Code is very clear on seeking subscribers’ consent before signing them on to any VAS content. Per the Code, even where a subscriber actually makes a request for a particular VAS, the MNO is supposed to send a feedback message to the subscriber for confirmation before signing the subscriber on.

But there is more than enough evidence to show that the MNOs, which are, according to Section 31 of the Code, entirely responsible for the onboarding process and liable for the violation of same, circumvent that laid down procedure and sign subscribers on without seeking their express consent.

NCR has realized and also received complaints from its cherished readers, listeners and viewers that not only do the MNOs and their VAS partners sign people on secretly, but even when a subscriber signs on to just one service on a particular short code, the MNOs/VAS partners pile on other services on that same short code and charge it to the subscriber’s airtime without the subscriber’s consent in many instances.

RelatedPosts

Parliament Adjourns Sine Die After Intense Legislative Session Marked by Reform Calls and Tributes

GACL Terminates Evatex Revenue Assurance Contract Amid OSP Probe

Cyber Security Authority Flags Rising Mobile Data Scam, Cautions Public

There is also evidence to show that even when subscribers deactivated hidden subscriptions from their phones, the MNOs and the VAS partners reactivate the same hidden subscriptions without the subscribers’ consent and use same to take from the subscriber’s airtime.

Again, the MNOs and their VAS partners even sign on data SIMs, which are in modems and routers to SMS VAS content and suck the subscriber’s airtime without even the subscriber knowing about it, since the SIM is not in the phone but rather in a router or modem.

NCR has also found that several of these VAS providers which work with the MNOs are companies that sit in India, South Africa and other parts of the world and provide the VAS services into Ghana through the MNOs. They therefore have no regard for the UEC laws of the country, and their local MNO partners just look on.

Revenue Share

Whereas the law enjoins MNOs to protect their subscribers against such practices, we believe the MNOs have no motivation to stop their VAS partners from violating the Code and abusing subscribers because when the airtime is “taken” the MNOs get to keep up to 70 per cent of what is taken, while the VAS providers get only 30 per cent.

This is the more reason why the NCA would have to get proactive with this fight in the interest of the consumer.

Read: Tullow CEO signals oil’s heady days over with spending clampdown

NCR would also like to urge the NCA to look into the onboarding practices of these overseas VAS providers, some of which allegedly place weblinks to the SMS VAS content on various websites, including porn sites. That practice also violates the Code, which require MNOs to make the onboarding process transparent.

Sanctions

We believe that the law is very explicit and unambiguous on what constitutes a violation of subscribers’ rights in that regard and what sanctions are there for such violations.

For instance, Section 31 of the Code states that an MNO that violates the Code is liable to Section 50 of the Electronic Transactions Act, Act 772 and to the Regulation 31 of Electronic Communications Regulations, LI 1991. Act 772 states a fine equal to 5,000 penalty units (GHS60,000) per violation.

NCR would therefore like to see the NCA crack the whip and stop this massive illegal charges on subscribers once and for all.

ICH

We would also like to propose that all VAS content be treated as interconnect content and be passed through the Interconnect Clearinghouse (ICH) for proper scrutiny, to ensure that whoever the content is being sent to actually requested for it and same confirmed the request before the content is sent out.

This unfortunate practice started more than twelve years ago, and the issuance of the Code has not stopped it. It is time for some real action and NCR would want to see the regulator take some real action on this very important matter.

In the meantime, it is important for the public to be checking regularly to see if you have been signed on to any hidden subscriptions. The way to check is as follows:

a) MTN – *175#

b) Vodafone – *463#

c) AirtelTigo – *100#

Tags: mobile network operators (MNOs)NCA must get proactive with fight against Unsolicited Electronic Communication – NCRNetwork of Communication Reporters (NCR)Unsolicited Electronic Communication (UEC)value-added service (VAS)
No Result
View All Result

Highlights

Gov’t Reopens Talks With PayPal to Restore Full Service Access in Ghana

Financial Sector Assets up 34.6% in 2024 to GHS 525.59 Billion

Banking Sector Soundness Remains Robust in 2024 Amid Strong Profitability, Adequate Capital Buffers

Sha’Carri Richardson Withdraws from US Trials Following Arrest

From Singuluma to El Kaabi: Can CHAN 2024 Unleash the Next Hat-trick Hero?

Ghana to Welcome King’s Baton Relay on August 8 Ahead of 2026 Commonwealth Games

Trending

Features

Parliament Adjourns Sine Die After Intense Legislative Session Marked by Reform Calls and Tributes

August 2, 2025

Parliament Adjourns Sine Die After Intense Legislative Session Marked by Reform Calls and Tributes Parliament has adjourned...

GACL Terminates Evatex Revenue Assurance Contract Amid OSP Probe

August 2, 2025

Cyber Security Authority Flags Rising Mobile Data Scam, Cautions Public

August 2, 2025

Gov’t Reopens Talks With PayPal to Restore Full Service Access in Ghana

August 2, 2025
Bank of Ghana

Financial Sector Assets up 34.6% in 2024 to GHS 525.59 Billion

August 2, 2025

Who we are?

NORVANREPORTS.COM |  Business News, Insurance, Taxation, Oil & Gas, Maritime News, Ghana, Africa, World

NorvanReports is a unique data, business, and financial portal aimed at providing accurate, impartial reporting of business news on Ghana, Africa, and around the world from a truly independent reporting and analysis point of view.

© 2020 Norvanreports – credible news platform.
L: Hse #4 3rd Okle Link, Baatsonaa – Accra-Ghana T:+233-(0)26 451 1013 E: news@norvanreports.com info@norvanreports.com
All rights reserved we display professionalism at all stages of publications

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
    • Agribusiness
    • Aviation
    • Energy
    • Insurance
    • Manufacturing
    • Real Estate
    • Maritime
    • Tourism
    • Transport
    • Banking & Finance
    • Trade
    • Markets
  • Economy
  • Reports
  • Technology
    • Cryptocurrency
    • Cyber-security
    • Social Media
    • Tech-guide
    • Telecom
  • Features
    • Interviews
    • Opinions
  • Lifestyle
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
    • Travel
    • Environment
    • Weather
  • NRTV
    • Audio
    • Video

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
NORVANREPORTS.COM | Business News, Insurance, Taxation, Oil & Gas, Maritime News, Ghana, Africa, World
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.