QCELL, a telecommunication company operating in Sierra Leone, has accused its rivals of denying it the right to access their networks, reports said on Wednesday.
Africell and Orange, the two leading telecommunication companies in the country, have unlawfully blocked all QCELL calls from and to their networks without notification, QCELL said in a statement seen by APA.
According to the company, the actions taken by its rivals were instructed by the National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM).
However, NATCOM said QCELL was blocked because it was in violation of the Finance Act 2020 that requires a price cap of Le650.
QCELL has not been in compliance with the dictates of the floor price, even after several correspondents and meetings, NATCOM added.
“We have been in compliance with the Finance Act 2020 that allows us to provide 10 percent free service to our customers or charge Le200,” Mr. Ebrahim Jah, QCELL’s Chief Operation Officer told APA.
QCELL which started operation last year is being very popular among consumers for its cheap service compared to its rivals. According to Mr. Jah, the company has captured over 10 percent of the market.
The controversy among QCELL, Africel, Organge and NATCOM has sparked fierce debate among the general public over fair competition in the telecommunication market and consumer protection.
Some people accused NATCOM of seeking the interest of Africel and Orange instead of that of the public. Others have dismissed the price floor as a rip-off at a time when strong majority of the population find it difficult to afford basic necessities such as food and healthcare.
Moreover, affordable communication is seen by many as indispensable to contain COVID-19 that has infected 570 people and claimed 34 people in the country.
ABJ/APA