The National Communications Authority (NCA) is inviting the public to comment on a make contributions to the Draft Guidelines for the Management of Network Promotional Messages , with the view to protecting consumers from unwanted promotional messages from telcos and their partners.
Apart from the unsolicited paid subscriptions that telcos and their partners used to sign consumers on to and steal their airtime, one other thing that consumers complain about is the loads of unwanted promotional messages telcos send to consumers either from the telcos themselves or on behalf of other entities.
Such messages don’t only fill up the phone inbox, but sometimes even create needless anxieties, particularly when they come through the Mobile Money channels. Several consumers have complained of how such messages made their blood rush for joy, only to be disappointed after finding out the message was just a promotional and not a payment alert.
A statement on the NCA’s website therefore said “The primary objectives of the guidelines are to establish industry standards and requirements for transmitting network promotional messages, ensuring such messages are sent transparently, ethically, and legally.”
It added that the guidelines also aim to protect consumer rights by providing clear opt-in and opt-out mechanisms, regulate the frequency and timing of promotional messages and harmonise sender identification names and short codes for better consumer recognition.
Section 3 of the guidelines spells out the key objectives as follows:
- Regulate the increasing spate of network promotional messages transmitted to consumers
- Protect and promote consumer rights and interests
- Reduce the frequency of receiving promotional messages
- Manage the practice of transmitting the same promotional messages on the same subject within a short time frame
- Ensure Service Providers harmonise their sender names and short codes and
- Provide consumers with a choice to opt in or out voluntarily from receiving these messages
One of the very critical issue in the whole mix is the way third party organizations have been given access to consumers’ details and those organizations send messages to consumers without identifying themselves.
But Section 5.1.6 of the draft guidelines says “Service providers shall streamline and categorise messages to enable consumers identify the name of the service provider, the type of message being transmitted and the Sender ID,” while Section 5.1.7 says “Service providers shall ensure that short codes are embedded in the transmission of Network Promotional Messages.”
This means no telco or third-party organizations can send messages to consumers without identifying themselves and stating the short code from which the message is coming from.
Mobile Money Messages
With regard to Mobile Money in particular, Section 5.3.2 of the Guideline said “Service providers shall ensure that Mobile Money related messages are transmitted via the registered sender name and are strictly transactional and devoid of any promotional messages.”
This means mobile money operators can no longer send promotional messages via the Mobile Money channels, like they have been doing and causing a lot of anxiety for customers.
Public Consultation
The NCA said it values public involvement and transparency in regulating the electronic communications industry, recognizing the public’s interest in proper regulation.
“In accordance with Section 4.1 of the National Telecommunication Policy (2005) and Section 5(h) of the National Communications Authority Act, 2008, Act 769, the NCA is therefore inviting public views and comments on the draft guidelines, which is accessible on the Authority’s website, www.nca.org.gh,” it said.
All responses/comments should be electronically sent as e-mail attachments, in Microsoft word format to info@nca.org.gh. All respondents are also requested to complete a response cover sheet (annexed A).
“The NCA wishes to state that in furtherance of transparency and openness, the Authority shall consider all responses as non-confidential. Consequently, all submissions will be published on the NCA website upon receipt,” it said.
Download the Draft GUIDELINES-ON-NETWORK-PROMOTIONAL-MESSAGES here.
