MTN Lonestar and Orange Liberia Fined $300,000 Each by the Liberia Telecommunications Authority
By: Melvin Flomo
The Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), led by Acting Chairman Mr. Abdullah Kamara, has imposed significant fines on two major telecom providers, Lonestar MTN and Orange Liberia, for severe regulatory breaches. Each company has been fined USD $300,000 for multiple violations.
Mr. Kamara stated, “At the forefront of these violations is the breach of the Floor Price regulation and the refusal to submit critical data with revenue implications. The Floor Price is a regulatory tool designed to stabilize the market by setting minimum consumer package prices for both data and voice services. Introduced in 2019 to counteract destructive price wars among providers, this measure helped prevent predatory pricing practices that led to network congestion, dropped calls, and poor service quality. The Floor Price regulation restored market stability, increased revenue, and enabled providers to expand their networks.
“He further lamented that over the past years, providers have reverted to Pre-Floor Price offerings, resulting in a sharp market decline and reduced government revenue. Despite LTA urging, the providers failed to adhere to the Floor Price metric, prompting the Board of Commissioners to impose fines.
In addition to Floor Price violations, Orange Liberia faces penalties for unauthorized cross-border connectivity with the Ivory Coast. This breach involves the use of a temporary license during the March internet disruption, which was not properly documented. Furthermore, LTA discovered three unreported links belonging to Orange Liberia—two international and one local—that were not disclosed to the regulatory body, hindering effective sector monitoring.
The LTA Acting Chairman considers these violations severe and detrimental to the sector’s stability. The imposed fines aim to enforce compliance and ensure the telecom providers adhere to regulatory standards. The LTA hopes these penalties will deter future infractions and restore order to Liberia’s telecom market.
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