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Claim: A Facebook user alleged that the Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA) fined Orange Liberia and Lonestar Cell MTN $300,000 each for poor data and voice call quality.
Verdict: Misleading! Investigations by DUBAWA have revealed that the two telecommunication companies were not fined for poor data and voice call quality, as alleged. According to the Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA), the two companies were fined for breaching the “price floor regulation and delinquent license fee payments by the companies.”
Full Text
A Facebook user, DN-News Liberia, alleged that the Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA) fined two telecommunication companies, Orange Liberia and Lonestar Cell MTN, $300,000 each for poor data and voice call quality.
The Facebook user shared on June 27, 2024, that “LTA fined Orange Liberia and Lonestar Cell MTN USD 300k each for poor data and voice call quality.”
The post has generated discussions on the social media platform, with many commenters commending the LTA for fining the two companies.
Reacting to the claim, a Facebook user, Melvin J. Bartee, wrote: “Yes! Good move; you activate, then suddenly, your data is gone.”
Another Facebook user, Lawrence Pyne, believes the fine should be paid directly to the customers since they are victims of poor-quality service.
“We, as citizens, are the direct victims of MTN and Orange Liberia, so both companies need to pay us as customers,” he said.
On her part, Nelly K. H Roberts-Blog exclaimed, “Oh, thank God. Liberia deserves better, meh. I hope things change.”
DUBAWA decided to fact-check the claim because of the interest it has generated on social media in Liberia.
Verification
We first contacted the claimant to provide evidence of the source of the information, but they have yet to respond to our inquiry. The researcher then found that the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) fined the companies $300,000 each for breaching its regulations, not for poor data and voice call quality.
“The Liberia Telecommunication Authority has issued significant penalties of US$ 300,000 each to Lonestar MTN and Orange for multiple regulatory violations, including breaching the Floor Price regulation and delinquent license fee payments,” a statement from the LTA said.
The LTA had implemented a Floor Price intervention in 2019 to address the aggressive price wars among telecommunication companies responsible for “reduced revenues, decommissioned infrastructure, and a decline in service quality.”
However, “Lonestar MTN and Orange have reverted to practices undermining market stability, causing a renewed decline in both service quality and revenue,” the LTA said.
Also, a Google Keyword Search conducted by DUBAWA showed that no credible media outlet in Liberia has reported the purported fine of the two telcos for poor data and voice call quality.
Conclusion
Based on the available information gathered by DUBAWA, the Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA) did not fine Lonestar MTN and Orange for poor data and voice call quality, as alleged.
The researcher produced this fact-check under the DUBAWA 2024 Kwame KariKari Fellowship, in partnership with Radio Gbarnga FM 96.5 MHz, Liberia, to facilitate the spread of accurate and true information.
