Vodafone’s Miserable Services!

Philip Dzorpke, Kumasi

Here they go again, with their miserable services. After promising Ghanaians of first class delivery in telephony and broadband, Vodafone services and products have been anything but appalling.

If readers would remember, I featured an article on Ghanaweb.com several months ago entitled “Is Vodafone Up To The Challenge Or A Sham!” In that article, I catalogued a litany of poor services that Vodafone had been providing its “supposed” individual and business customers- ranging from unstable and VERY SLOW Internet connectivity, to incessant call drops of Vodafone mobile phone services.

Six (6) months later, Vodafone’s services have gotten worse. As I write this article, most of Vodafone’s customers throughout the country are without Internet link for over two weeks, including many Internet cafes that depend on them for connectivity and business operations. Ironically and coincidentally, all of Vodafone Internet cafes are fully functioning. What a great customer service!

My questions, therefore, are as follows:

First, why did the government of Ghana (MOC) approve an ISP such as Vodafone, arguably a monopoly, to open Internet cafes and to compete with its own business customers, instead of focusing on its core business of providing Internet services? My research has revealed that Vofone has not been allowed to do the same in other countries such as USA, Ireland, Egypt, Romania, etc. where they also have operations.

Second, why should not Vodafone compensate its customers monetarily, especially Internet cafes that have lost revenues as results of their continuing bad or non-services?

Third, when will the government of Ghana start prosecuting Vodafone for allegedly sabotaging Glo, the only viable ISP capable of gaining competitive advantage over Vodafone with their (Glo) superior services and products? Finally, when will our brain-dead and corrupted Ghana officials recognize the role small businesses play in economic development and put forward policies that would support these entrepreneurs, and ultimately the Ghanaian people? I Weep for Mother Ghana!

Philip Dzorke