New Ghana NCA rule requires SMS delivery within 5min

The National Communications Authority (NCA) in Ghana recently amended its Quality of Service (QoS) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for mobile telecommunications services. These changes, announced on February 15, 2026, introduce stricter standards for voice, data, and messaging to improve reliability nationwide.

Key Changes

The updates replace outdated 2004 parameters with modern thresholds, effective immediately across all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs). They aim to boost consumer protection through better enforcement on mobile network operators (MNOs).

Voice Services

• Call drop rate must now stay below 1% (down from 3%), with over 90% of operational cells achieving successful connections.
• A new minimum Mean Opinion Score (MOS) of greater than 3.0 applies to 2G voice quality for clearer calls.

Data Services

3G download speeds now require an average throughput exceeding 1 Mbps, up from the prior 256 kbps session threshold, addressing faster consumer expectations.

Messaging Services

• SMS/MMS delivery success rate must hit at least 98%.
• Delivery time cannot exceed 5 seconds.

Coverage Expansion

Operators must now provide network access to all towns within every MMDA, extending beyond previous obligations.

What penalties apply to telcos failing QoS KPIs

Telcos failing to meet the NCA’s amended QoS KPIs face financial penalties based on established regulatory frameworks in Ghana.

Penalty Framework

The NCA applies sanctions under the Mobile Cellular Licence Schedule of Penalties (gazetted in 2011), which imposes GHC50,000 per QoS parameter violated, as seen in prior enforcement actions.
For 3G-related issues, Clause 6.1 of the licence adds GHC10,000 per day per locality for violations exceeding three days, verified independently by the NCA.

Enforcement Examples

In 2018, all four major operators (MTN, Vodafone, AirtelTigo, Glo) were fined a total of GHC34 million for QoS failures in voice services across district capitals, after failing to remedy issues within a three-month grace period.

Fines must be paid within 30 days, or additional liabilities apply under Section 83 of regulations; the NCA conducts follow-up monitoring via drive tests and reports.

While the February 2026 QoS amendments introduce stricter KPIs, no specific new penalty schedules were detailed in announcements—existing frameworks from licences are expected to govern, with emphasis on strict compliance monitoring.

More Information ℹ

• Ghana NCA