News:
July 14, 2017
Communication Minister, Ursula Owusu Ekuful, has told telecom companies in the country that government will not reduce the cost of 4G spectrum license.
The CEO of Vodafone Ghana, Yolande Cuba, in a media interview this year called for the reduction of the cost of the spectrum.
The first license of the spectrum was sold to MTN Ghana at a cost of $67.5million, a figure other industry players argue will ward off interests.
In her reaction however, Mr. Ekuful, noted that government cannot reduce the cost of the spectrum urging telcos to rather consolidate in order to acquire the spectrum.
She said, “I have indicated in the meetings I have had with the operators that consolidation is the way to go and we would actively promote any effort to consolidate their operations and build more synergies instead of going for loans and incurring the huge capital outlaw which the industry demands”.
“I believe that when the spectrum was offered for sale those who wanted to, acquired it. The broadband wireless operators have the 4G LTE license so does MTN which was the only one which took up the offer. Comparatively, people say that we auctioned it for a rather reasonable amount,” she added.
According to her, the cost of the spectrum is reasonable and that there is one bloc of spectrum which is still available for telcos to take advantage of.
BY Mohammed Awal/StarrFMonline.com