The National Communications Authority (NCA) has issued sweeping new directives requiring all mobile network operators to extend services to every town within each Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assembly (MMDA) in Ghana, as part of an immediate overhaul of Quality of Service (QoS) standards.
Announced on February 15, 2026, the updated framework tightens Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that have governed telecom operations since 2004. Previously, operators were only encouraged to expand beyond district capitals, but the new rules make full town coverage mandatory under licence conditions.
Beyond coverage, operators must meet stricter performance benchmarks. The maximum Call Drop Rate (CDR) has been reduced from 3% to below 1%, while Call Connection Success Rate (CCSR) must exceed 95%, with successful connections recorded in over 90% of operational cells within each MMDA. Voice quality has also been upgraded, requiring a minimum Mean Opinion Score (MOS) of 3.0 for 2G services.
Data and messaging services are subject to higher standards as well. Average 3G download speeds must now exceed 1 megabit per second (Mbps), a fourfold increase from the previous 256 kilobits per second requirement. Telecom providers are also expected to achieve at least a 98% SMS/MMS delivery success rate, with messages delivered within five seconds.
The NCA said it will intensify compliance monitoring through field measurements and performance assessments, warning that operators failing to meet the new requirements could face sanctions under their licence conditions and applicable laws.
Consumers experiencing poor service have been encouraged to lodge formal complaints, with the regulator emphasizing that the reforms aim to align the sector with evolving technology, growing data usage, and national objectives for improved telecom service delivery across Ghana.
