–BY Issah Olegor
In a landmark move aimed at improving consumer value and ensuring fairness in the telecommunications sector, the Government has announced sweeping adjustments to mobile data bundle packages across all major telecom operators.
The announcement was made on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, by the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, at a press briefing in Accra.
Effective July 1, 2025, Ghanaians will see significant enhancements in their data offerings, accompanied by a modest price increase across board.
The reforms come after months of stakeholder engagements with top executives from the country’s three major telecom service providers — MTN Ghana, Telecel Ghana, and AT Ghana (formerly AirtelTigo).
Background and Justification
The Ghanaian telecom sector has long grappled with balancing affordability, quality service delivery, and operational sustainability.
Over the past year, concerns were raised by consumer groups about perceived reductions in data value, frequent bundle expirations, and abrupt pricing changes — prompting calls for government intervention.
In late 2024, the National Communications Authority (NCA) conducted a billing integrity audit following public outcry.
The findings, released in Q3 2024, confirmed that bundles purchased were correctly credited and unused data was properly rolled over in compliance with policy.
However, the government determined that more structural reforms were necessary to ensure lasting consumer trust and enhanced service value.
New Data Pricing Structure
The new directive mandates a 10% price increase on all data bundles for AT Ghana and Telecel Ghana, while MTN Ghana — designated as a Significant Market Power (SMP) operator — will apply a 15% price increase on all bundles.
Despite the price adjustments, consumers will receive significantly higher data volumes for the same price point, a move government officials say reflects an increase in “value for money” rather than a net cost hike.
New Bundle Changes by Operator:
AT Ghana:
Old Rate: GH¢400 for 195GB
New Rate (from July 1): GH¢400 for 236GB
General Change: 10% price increase across all bundles
Telecel Ghana:
Old Rate: GH¢400 for 90GB
New Rate (from July 1): GH¢400 for 250GB
General Change: 10% price increase across all bundles
MTN Ghana:
Old Rate: GH¢399 bundle had been adjusted down to GH¢350 for 92.88GB
New Rate (from July 1): GH¢399 bundle restored, now offering 214GB
General Change: 15% price increase across all data bundles.
According to George, these changes were reached following “intense consultations” and are designed to balance the operational costs borne by telecom operators with the need for affordability and reliability for consumers.
Regulatory Oversight and Compliance
To ensure the effective implementation of these new measures, the Minister has directed the NCA to strictly monitor compliance starting July 1, 2025.
Telecom companies that fail to apply the new bundle structures or violate consumer protections will face regulatory sanctions.
“From the 1st of July, the NCA will enforce these directives. Where there is non-compliance, sanctions will be applied. Consumers deserve value, transparency, and fairness,” Sam George stated.
Efforts to Reduce Data Costs Long-Term
In addition to the bundle reforms, the minister revealed ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Finance aimed at rationalizing the telecom tax structure, which currently accounts for nearly 39% of the total cost of data.
The hope is to reduce the tax burden, ultimately driving down consumer data prices in the long term.
“I’m continuing my engagement with the Honourable Minister of Finance to reduce the tax build-up in data pricing. If successful, we could see data prices fall despite current inflationary pressures,” the minister disclosed.
Efforts are also underway with the Ministry of Energy and the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to introduce a telecom-specific utility tariff — similar to the mining sector — to ease the cost of powering telecom infrastructure.
Quarterly Integrity Tests and Consumer Protections
In response to previous consumer concerns, the NCA has been tasked to conduct quarterly billing integrity tests starting Q3 2025.
These will evaluate data charges on popular platforms and apps to ensure telecoms are billing customers accurately and ethically.
The minister reiterated findings from the 2024 billing audit, affirming that:
1. All data bundles purchased during the test were correctly credited and intact.
2. Non-expiry data bundles did not expire prematurely.
3. Rollover of unused data was properly implemented upon renewal.
