Why MTN Ghana Zone Bundle is not working - What you need to know

For nearly a week now, numerous subscribers of MTN Ghana, the leading telecommunications service provider in the country, have been expressing dissatisfaction with the inactivity of the zone bundle service which was greatly patronized by MTN subscribers.   Without any official communication from the telecommunications giant, a number of people have expressed their opinions with the majority purporting to highlight that the move is for the company to siphon excess profits from their customers. However, underground research conducted by YenAfrik suggests something different, which appears more like an imposition from the government.

From our research, the National Communications Authority (NCA) which is the chief regulator of telecommunications companies in Ghana, in 2020, declared MTN Ghana as a Significant Market Player (SMP). This is a regulatory framework that has been put in place by NCA to promote fair competition and ensure a level playing field in the country's telecommunications market. 

As a dominant player in the market, MTN Ghana has significant market power that can be used to disadvantage smaller players, so the SMP framework is designed to ensure that MTN operates in a way that does not stifle competition. 

Under the SMP, the NCA has imposed a range of obligations on MTN Ghana, including price controls, network sharing, and access to essential facilities. 

Essentially, to boost competition in the industry, the directives require that the products and services churned out by MTN Ghana should not be the cheapest on the market comparing it to the other market players. 

This is evident as some highly patronized products which were offered by MTN Ghana including the free after-1, free MTN to MTN calls on Sundays, etc all ended abruptly.   

It is likely that the MTN Zone bundle has suffered the same fate, and as a result, its deactivation from public use. As we keep our fingers crossed and wait for an official communication from the telecommunications company, MTN Subscribers should be less expectant of having access to patronize the zone bundle again.