Who Is Rejecting Our Calls?

by Accra Daily Mail
2005-10-18 00:00:00 | Viewed 992 times

It is common for mobile users of all the four mobile networks in Ghana to dial a number and either see "number busy" written on the liquid crystal display (LCD) of the phone or be told that the Onetouch, Areeba, Buzz or Kasapa "you have called is busy". Other messages include "you have dialed the wrong number" or "network busy" or is "out of coverage area", etc.

Question: If you call from say Buzz to Kasapa and you get the "Network Busy" reply, whose network is actually busy? Question: What about the "Connection Error" and "Call Rejected" that are now common with one of the networks? By the time you finish dialing the number or if you are dialing from memory, by the time you take your hand off the redial button, one of the messages immediately appears.

We have not been given the benefit of an explanation by the National Communication Authority which regulates the sector. So what's happening to this fast growing sector of the Ghanaian economy? Who is rejecting our calls?

Some guesses: CONNECTION ERROR: This clearly sounds technical, possibly implying that some software or hardware is refusing to work. Probable causes could be overload, or congestion, resulting from over subscription. Or are there other hidden reasons?

CALL REJECTED: Rejected by whom…and for what reason? Another guess here is that it is a variation of "connection error" and is related to congestion resulting from over subscription. Any other reasons?

It is very clear that all the four mobile telcos in Ghana are in their various stages of evolution, in fact, Robert Palitz's Kasapa is moving faster now with its Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) evolution and Onetouch and Areeba are also hinting at GPRS, but should these telcos put uncompetitive and profit matters before the interest of the customer?

Intra network calls appear to be fine with all these networks, but calls into other networks mostly fail. Is someone blocking the pipes that interconnect the networks? This is clearly uncompetitive and the National Communication Authority must be seen to be up and doing on this issue.

Before Ghana can become the "ICT hub of Africa" these irritating but elementary technical issues MUST be solved first in the telecom sector.

Source: Accra Daily Mail

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