Have you ever found yourself waiting anxiously for an important text message, only to be greeted by a beep from your phone, revealing yet another promotional message from your Mobile Network Provider? The sinking feeling in your chest, the surge of frustration and anger, and the look of disappointment on your face are all too familiar. But it raises an important question: Are network providers allowed to send us such messages? If so, how frequently? And is the National Communications Authority (NCA) aware that these messages are becoming a nuisance and need regulation?
Understanding what it takes to regulate these activities is crucial, as the constant flood of promotional messages often causes us to miss essential information. Recently, I came across a press release from the NCA seeking public comments on guidelines for managing Network Promotional Messages (NPM). As consumers, this is our chance to weigh in on how such regulations should be shaped.
Let me walk you through what the regulator is proposing and why we need to speak up now or risk missing our opportunity for change.
According to the documents, the guidelines aim to establish industry standards and requirements for the transmission of NPMs, ensuring that subscribers are informed about new offers, promotions, bundles, or fees related to service usage. It is also to ensure that NPMs are sent in a transparent, ethical, professional, and legal manner.
The guidelines further state that, service providers may send promotional messages only once per promotion, clearly indicating its duration to help consumers make informed decisions, and are prohibited between 09:00 and 13:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. It further indicates that promotional messages may only be sent once a week, between 08:00 and 18:00, from Monday to Friday.
These guidelines are a refreshing step forward, providing much-needed clarity on what is expected from service providers.
Additionally, the guidelines introduce a crucial layer of protection by requiring service providers to inform subscribers about the Do Not Disturb (DND) option. This allows consumers to opt in or out of receiving NPMs at no cost.
Previously, there was a “STOP” option that allowed users to opt out of NPMs, but this feature has since disappeared. The new guidelines mandate that service providers must enable opt-out mechanisms for consumers to reply “STOP” via SMS, to these NPMs, at no extra cost.
To ensure compliance, the NCA has outlined penalties for non-compliance. Therefore, Service Providers that fail to adhere to the guidelines will face an administrative fine of up to Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHȼ50,000) initially, with an additional charge of Twenty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHȼ20,000) for each day the non-compliance continues.
This is a positive step forward, as it addresses the need for clear regulations and effective enforcement. However, as a consumer, I wonder why there is no provision for compensating consumers in cases of non-compliance, even though the Authority benefits from the fines. After all, it is we, the recipients, who are most affected.
Nevertheless, I look forward to the finalisation of these guidelines and hope they will put an end to this ongoing issue. I hope you make some time to read the Guidelines and make your comment before it is too late. God bless Ghana.
By: NanaYaw Turay