By Mahmud Tim Kargbo
Sierra Leone’s telecommunications crisis has escalated into a national emergency, with citizens, civil society, and policymakers demanding answers. Rising data tariffs, deteriorating service quality, and widespread allegations of regulatory negligence have combined to create a sector in deep distress. Over the course of this investigation, interviews with consumers, industry insiders, civil society leaders, and legal experts paint a bleak picture of a system failing its people while violating national, regional, and international obligations.
The Tariff Shock: Price Hike Without Cause:
In early November 2025, Orange and Africell simultaneously increased their weekly data bundles from 60 New Leones to 100 New Leones, representing a near 67 percent jump. The sudden change triggered a wave of public outrage.
Reference:
http://www.sierraleonemonitor.com/orange-africell-raise-tariffs
http://www.expomediasl.com/data-price-surge-by-africell-orange-triggers-nationwide-consumer-backlash
Consumer Testimony: Freetown:
Mariama Sesay, a Fourah Bay College science student, says the increase has affected her academic performance.
“I spend half my allowance on data, and it still finishes within hours. When I call customer care, they say it is my phone. But the whole campus is complaining. We are paying more but getting nothing in return.”
Her experience mirrors that of thousands interviewed online and across urban districts.
Technical Data Analysis:
A comparative review of user speed tests collected from 700 respondents in Freetown, Bo, Makeni, and Kenema indicates:
Average download speed on Orange: 1.8 Mbps
Average download speed on Africell: 2.4 Mbps
Global minimum standard for mobile broadband: 10 Mbps
Meanwhile, call drop rates measured by independent network engineers showed:
Orange: 21 percent national call drop rate
Africell: 17 percent
Acceptable global benchmark: below 2 percent
Consumers are essentially paying broadband prices for pre broadband performance.
Regulatory Failure or Regulatory Capture?
In February 2025, NatCA imposed a one million US dollar fine on Orange for abysmal network quality. But interviews suggest the fine changed nothing.
Reference:
Orange Sierra Leone Fined $1M by NatCA for Poor Network Quality
Interview: Former NatCA Staff Member (Name Withheld)
“The fine was a public relations gesture. There was no follow up audit, no compliance verification, no enforcement. Internally, some believed the fine was a way to calm public anger rather than reform the sector.”
He also hinted at potential political interference:
“Whenever we attempted to push operators on quality metrics, someone above would call and tell us to slow down.”
The Law Is Clear but Rarely Enforced:
Three key national instruments govern telecommunications in Sierra Leone:
National Communications Authority Act 2022
Telecommunications Act 2006
Quality of Service Regulations 2020
Each mandates affordability, transparency, consumer protection, and strict quality enforcement.
References:
http://www.natcom.gov.sl/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/The-National-Communications-Authority-Act-2022.pdf
http://www.natcom.gov.sl/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Telecommunications-Act-2006.pdf
http://www.natcom.gov.sl/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/The-Telecommunications-Quality-of-Service-Regulations-2020.pdf
Interview: Digital Rights Advocate, Augustine Kamara
“The legal framework is strong. The problem is that the regulator is not implementing it. Tariff adjustments require public justification. There has been none. Quality standards are mandatory. They are not met. The constitution protects access to information. Poor service undermines that right.”
Reference:
http://www.hrlibrary.umn.edu/instree/SCSL/SierraLeoneConstit.pdf
Regional and Global Obligations: How Sierra Leone Is Breaching Them
ECOWAS, the African Union, and the United Nations all emphasise affordable, reliable communication as a developmental right.
ECOWAS requires telecom regulators to ensure fair pricing, transparent tariffs, consumer protection, and robust competition rules.
African Union guidelines under the Digital Transformation Strategy call for universal access, strict enforcement of quality benchmarks, and protection of digital rights.
United Nations bodies, including the Broadband Commission, recommend that broadband should cost no more than 2 percent of a citizen’s monthly income. Sierra Leone’s data costs for many low income earners exceed 15 percent.
Interview: journalist, Digital Policy Analyst and ECOWAS Consultant, Kweku Ado
“Sierra Leone is failing on all three fronts. Tariff transparency, competition safeguards, digital rights protection. This is not a matter of internal politics alone. It is a breach of regional and international commitments.”
Parliament’s Uncertain Role:
In October, Parliament ordered telcos to revert to lower tariffs, but this order was suspended weeks later after lobbying by operators.
Reference:
http://www.sierraleonemonitor.com/parliament-orders-mobile-network-operators
http://www.sierraleonemonitor.com/parliament-suspends-order-mobile
Interview: Parliamentary Staff Member (Name Withheld):
“Some MPs are genuinely concerned. Others are influenced by telecom lobbyists. The suspension raised internal alarms. Many of us felt Parliament yielded too quickly.”
Civil Society Pushback:
NUCSO SL and other civil society groups have accused NatCA of regulatory capture and demanded the resignation of its leadership.
Reference:
CSOs Calls for NATCA DG’s Resignation Over Rising Data Tariffs
Interview: NUCSO SL Member,
“NatCA is asleep. They prioritise corporate interests over the citizen. Sierra Leoneans are paying some of the highest data costs in West Africa for some of the worst network quality. That is unacceptable.”
Regional Comparison: Sierra Leone at the Bottom
Data Comparison 2025
Rwanda average mobile data speed: 15.4 Mbps
Ghana: 11.6 Mbps
Kenya: 19.8 Mbps
Sierra Leone: 2.1 Mbps
Rwanda average monthly data bundle price (equivalent): 35 New Leones
Kenya: 48 New Leones
Sierra Leone: 100 New Leones
References:
http://www.thecommonwealth-ilibrary.org/index.php/comsec/catalog/download/1005/1001/8565?inline=1
http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/treg/Documentation/Infodev_handbook/1_overview.pdf
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_Authority_of_Kenya
Socioeconomic Fallout: A Nation Falling Behind:
Unreliable and expensive data access has profound consequences.
Enterprise Impact:
Small businesses report losing customers because of failed mobile money transactions, slow uploads, and network outages.
Education Impact:
University students in Bo and Freetown say online materials often fail to download.
Media Impact:
Several journalists interviewed say unstable networks compromise timely reporting and hamper coverage of national events.
Reference:
http://www.expomediasl.com/data-price-surge-by-africell-orange-triggers-nationwide-consumer-backlash
A Nation at a Digital Crossroads:
Sierra Leone sits at a critical juncture. National laws, regional obligations, and international standards all mandate affordable, reliable, and transparent telecommunications services. Yet the country faces escalating tariffs, declining service quality, and a regulator widely perceived as ineffective or compromised.
President Bio’s New Direction promised improved digital governance, yet critics argue the sector has deteriorated sharply. The investigative evidence suggests systemic regulatory failure, potential corporate influence, and a widening gap between Sierra Leone and its West African peers.
Unless NatCA enforces the law rigorously, publishes quarterly performance data, conducts market studies, and protects consumers as required by ECOWAS, AU, and UN frameworks, Sierra Leone will remain digitally marginalised and economically constrained.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author and do not in anyway reflect the opinions or editorial policy of Africa Publicity
