The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George (MP), recently convened a crucial meeting with a team from MTN Ghana led by Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer to address a significant technical hitch that has hampered the company’s efforts to implement reduced data prices on its systems. The high-level discussion focused on the ongoing challenges affecting MTN’s charging and subscription services, which have regrettably delayed the full rollout of new, more affordable data bundles, including the much-anticipated 399 bundle.
During the meeting, it was revealed that three of MTN’s critical services – the main service and two supporting services – experienced a crash upon going live, despite having successfully passed all User Acceptance Testing (UAT) in the test environment.
Ms Afriyie Wiafe confirmed that the incident was not a security breach, but rather a systemic failure that affected customers’ ability to purchase new bundles, with some unable to complete transactions and others receiving confusing messages. This technical anomaly has specifically led to issues where some subscribers could not see or access the ‘399 bundle’, a large data offering designed to cater to heavy data consumers, content creators, and students.
In response to the crisis, the MTN team said work is ongoing to restore full functionality. All three affected services are now reported to be back online, with efforts currently focused on configuring the system and redoing data balances.
Honourable George emphasized the importance of proactive communication to avoid public backlash, having personally been active on social media to keep citizens informed about the challenges and the ongoing rectification efforts. He stressed the need for swift resolution, pushing for the systems to be fully operational and taking new subscriptions before the close of day today.
The Minister expressed confidence that, barring unforeseen challenges, MTN’s systems should be fully functional by midnight today.
The Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations assures the public of its continued engagement with MTN Ghana to ensure a seamless and prompt resolution to these challenges, reiterating the government’s dedication to providing accessible and affordable digital services.
