By Hassan Osman Kargbo
It is not a secret that communication is vital in our everyday lives.
For far too long, there were several means people have been used to communicate to their relatives and their love ones.
In these modern days, technology has caused a shift in the way people communicate.
In Sierra Leone, we have followed the trend to communicate through digital means.
But, telecommunications companies are doing everything humanly possible for people not to enjoy this age of communications in the country.
The mobile companies are rendering citizens incapable of interacting and enjoying the beauties of modern technology.
The high cost of data tariff has caused most people not to used internet frequently.
Due to the current hardship and other abnormalities in the country, people have been finding pleasure in interacting in social media with their loved ones.
Social media handles like: Facebook, Twitter – X, WhatsApp etc, are being used by many, but the raise in data tariffs/prices have minimize internet connectivity on a regular basis.
Isatu Sesay, a business woman who trades in used clothing at Back Street, Freetown informed this medium that, the data tariff is something the government needs to take very seriously if the government is really concerned about the welfare of its citizens.
She said people have used to the media so much so that, they found it difficult to go offline for 20 minutes, adding that through social media people are well informed on daily happenings, because all the various radios and television stations stream their programmes online to keep people abreast of daily news and even the government activities in the country.
‘This government needs to take the data issues seriously.
Because if the common man can’t afford to buy data, how can they go online to follow trending issues?’ she said, and continued that people do not have time for the traditional media; they only focus on social media and other online engines to get information.
So, the increment may limit some online activities from many people.
In this digital world, students from various institutions wholly depend on the internet to ease their academic workloads.
But, in Sierra Leone, it is different kettle of fish. Students now find it very difficult to solve research problems, upload or download tutorials or study materials for their various courses or examination purposes.
Speaking to Forum News SL on the high cost of mobile data tariff, a second year student at the Institutes of Public Administration and Management (IPAM), Mariatu Sidibay expressed her dissatisfaction about the increment of data prices in the country.
She described the situation as a mere wickedness on the side of mobile companies. She said that most of them cannot even afford the price of one gigabyte a day to download or upload their academic materials online.
‘I am not happy with the ways this data increment thing is going. These mobile companies are not treating people fairly, especially we the students; they keep on increasing data prices at their own convenient,’ she said.
This issue is not only affecting students, but it also affects the entrepreneur in the country.
Due to the increment, entrepreneurs have been deprived of the opportunity to sell or advertise their products online.
The world is now going digital and a lot of people are doing their businesses online which is attracting a lot of business partners in the world, but now they are finding it difficult to constantly stay online to communicate with their customers.
The cost of Wi-Fi is also high which some business people can’t afford its monthly subscriptions; so they normally prefer using mobile hotspots at their business places for internet access, but with the rising mobile data prices making things more difficult for people.
Ibrahim Foday Sesay a young entrepreneur along Siaka Steven Street, Freetown told this medium that, being an entrepreneur in Sierra Leone is very difficult considering all the taxes tax burdens they are challenged with to pay to government and now the cost of mobile data has posed a lot of challenges to them.
‘It is really frustrating to be an entrepreneur in Sierra Leone. How can a young people in entrepreneurship succeed in this high tariff when the cost of operation is increasing every second in the country,’ he stressed.
Moreover, this issue could also affect the entertainment industry seriously; musicians and other entertainers have begun to lose views and likes from their various social media handles. Fans are hardly streaming contents from their favourite entertainers due to the data increment in the country.
Finally, the government through the tele communication regulation and mobile companies like Orange, Africell, Qcell really need to adjust their tariffs and ease connectivity burdens subscribers.
