Ghana NCA calls for Comments on Draft Guidelines for the Management of Network Promotional Messages

The spate of network promotional nature in the country has taken a spamming nature for while now with users as stakeholder at the receiving end. There has been a dozen of calls and STOP replies and still ongoing as of today.

A particular telecom network can send at least two unnecessary and bad taste promotional messages everyday, wasting precious attention span only to repeat same the next day. Other time, an activation that should require your user consent is found invincibly stealing and reducing your balance until you go auditing and the customer representative would blame it on you or make it she says – he says without refunding the theft. When there is or are underpinning network issue or issues that require prompt notice to its users to plan, you would not find those messages and when they would do, a public uproar ought to necessitate such. These occurrences has seen a lot of complains to and reaching the Ghana NCA who have decided to move a draft guideline targeted at the menace.

The NCA values public involvement and transparency in regulating the electronic communications industry, recognizing the public’s interest in proper regulation. In accordance with Section 4.1 of the National Telecommunication Policy (2005) and Section 5(h) of the National Communications Authority Act, 2008, Act 769, the Authority invites public views and comments on the Draft Guidelines for the Management of Network Promotional Messages, accessible on the Authority’s website, www.nca.org.gh.

The consultation period will commence on 2nd August, 2024 and conclude on 19th September, 2024. During this period, all stakeholders, including Service Providers, Consumer Advocacy Groups, and the General Public, are encouraged to review the draft guidelines and provide feedback.

All responses/comments should be electronically sent as e-mail attachments, in Microsoft word format to info@nca.org.gh . All respondents are also requested to complete a response cover sheet (annexed A).

The NCA wishes to state that in furtherance of transparency and openness, the Authority shall consider all responses as non-confidential. Consequently, all submissions will be published on the NCA website upon receipt.
Ghana NCA

GUIDELINES-ON-NETWORK-PROMOTIONAL-MESSAGES-2

The draft guidelines propose minimum standards and criteria for transmitting promotional messages, including requirements for unsubscribe functions, sender identification, and compliance with “Do Not Disturb” (DND) lists. Part of the draft reads; Service providers can only send promotional messages to consumers between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. A Promotional message can only be sent to a consumer once a week between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Service providers should ensure that consumers who want to opt out of DND are added within 3 working days.

The public consultation begins with immediate effect (2^nd August, 2024 ) and shall expire on the 13^th September, 2014

The Ghana NCA says that in furtherance of transparency and openness, the Authority shall consider all responses as non-confidential. Consequently, all submissions will be published on the NCA website upon receipt.

Ghana NCA calls for Comments on Draft Guidelines for the Management of Network Promotional Messages

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Gabby

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