[ 2015-02-19 ]

Afriwave ICH contract could compromise call, data privacy – MFWA warns
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has
warned that a “unilateral” award of an
interconnect clearing house (ICH) contract to
Afriwave Telecom Ghana could compromise the
privacy of phone calls and data transmission.

In a statement issued Wednesday February 18, 2015
titled: “Do you care if your private
conversations are monitored?”, the Foundation
disclosed that: “The National Communications
Authority [NCA] has awarded a contract to Afriwave
Telecom Ghana Limited to provide an Interconnect
Clearing House (ICH) for both in-bound and
out-bound communications in the country.”

The ICH, the statement said, “will serve as the
single gateway through which voice and data
communications (including Skype and other social
media calls) across local networks and
International Carriers can be terminated.”

“In spite of legitimate concerns raised by civil
society organisations and industry players, the
government has gone ahead to sign a contract with
Afriwave to provide a mandatory monopolistic ICH
for communications in the country,” MFWA noted.

It said the possible implications of “this
unilateral decision by government for the end-user
(individuals, groups and organisations) include
the following:

1. gross privacy violations through monitoring of
private calls, massive surveillance of text
messages, emails, blogs, websites, social media
communications, etc.

2. blocking and filtering of emails, blogs,
websites, social media platforms and other data
centres

3. manipulations for political persecution and
gains

4. a nationwide breakdown in communication –
i.e. should the ICH encounter any technical
problem, digital attack, or in the event of a
disaster.

5. increase in the cost of telecommunications
services

6. waste of tax payers money to set up an entity
that will offer no new solution (i.e, the Telcos
in the country are required by law to invest in
interconnection facilities to enable
interconnections among telecom operators. This has
been done and that is why over the years Ghanaians
have been able to communicate across networks)."

The Foundation is, therefore, asking Ghanaians to
“join the campaign to resist the imposition of
this centralised and monopolistic communications
gateway on communications across the country by
using all communications channels to demand a
thorough review and discussion of all issues
raised by civil society, industry players and
subscribers before the implementation of the ICH
in Ghana.”

Source - Starrfmonline

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