Equatorial Guinea’s mobile network operators (MNOs) have agreed to reduce their rates by 50% from 1 May for the benefit of consumers, following weeks of negotiations with the government. Agence Ecofin reports that the decision is the result of a preliminary agreement signed between the government, the Telecommunications Regulatory Body (Organo Regulador de las Telecomunicaciones, ORTEL), state-owned infrastructure management firm Gestor de Infraestructuras de Telecomunicaciones de Guinea Ecuatorial (GITGE) and the cellcos. The agreement was adopted on 20 April.
According to the vice-president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the order to reduce telecommunications service tariffs by 50% is ‘provisional’ but has been accepted by the MNOs. He added that the final percentage(s) for the price reductions will be defined via a study currently in progress, which could lead to a steeper drop, and he warned that operators failing to comply with the new rules could have their licences revoked. The government’s decision is in accordance with Article 29 of the Constitution under broader aims of welfare for the Equatoguinean population. While reducing the costs of communications, the authorities recognise that the move constitutes a risk of loss of income for operators, but have expressed hope that the reduction in tariffs will not affect the quality of services.
Equatorial Guinea’s MNO sector consists of three providers: state-backed fixed/mobile operator Guinea Ecuatorial de Telecomunicaciones Sociedad Anonima (Getesa), GreenCom (Muni) and GECOMSA.
Source: https://www.commsupdate.com/articles/2022/04/26/equatorial-guinean-cellcos-halving-rates-on-1-may/