By: Frank P. Martin
MONROVIA: In the bustling streets of Monrovia, Liberia’s Capital, the frustration of ordinary citizens over the skyrocketing costs of communication services is unimaginable.
From university students struggling to access research materials online to market vendors unable to afford a simple phone call to suppliers, the cry is unanimous: the costs of calls and internet access are too high.
With telecommunications giants dominating the sector, most ordinary Liberians and residents feel trapped in a system that prioritizes profits over accessibility.
“I spend nearly half of my earnings on data just to keep my small business running,” laments Sarah Johnson, a local tailor in Paynesville.
“How can a country develop if its people can’t afford to connect? Many times, the local Global System Mobile (GSM) companies would venture to steal data and calls from my phone. We no longer enjoy communication access on the African continent. Their services are not measurable in the sub-Sahara region,” another caller said.
The cost of communication in Liberia remains among the highest in the region.
According to reports from the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), mobile data costs range between $4 to $5 per gigabyte, while countries like Ghana and Senegal offer similar services at nearly half the price.
Local calls, meanwhile, remain a luxury for many, with steep charges per minute that disproportionately affect low-income families.
Social media users are the main victims of the arbitrary daily deduction in call and data usages.
“After paying for data, and without using the service, GSM companies later tell each of its customers, “your data is exhausted.” “Thank you.”
“This is not a good business practice but pure stealing or robbery” said Reginald Toe, a rice seller in the commercial district of Red Light in Paynesville, outside Monrovia.
Many valued customers blame the ‘duopoly’ of major telecommunications companies, Lonestar MTN and Orange Liberia, for maintaining high tariffs.
Despite pronounced regulatory efforts by the LTA, such as the introduction of floor pricing in 2019, these measures have seemingly done little or nothing to alleviate the increasing financial burdens on consumers the GSM companies benefit immensely.
“It’s a monopoly disguised as competition,” says Patrick Doe, a student of economics at the AME University.
“We don’t have real choices. Either you pay exorbitant fees or stay disconnected,” he added.
The impact is particularly severe on Liberia’s youth and students. In an increasingly digital world, students find themselves excluded from the global knowledge economy due to exorbitant internet costs in Liberia.
At the African Methodist Episcopal University in Monrovia, groups of students assembled outside the library, pooling resources to purchase a single data bundle.
“Sometimes, I have to choose between eating and buying data,” said Emmanuel Weah, a Sociology student.
He asked: “How can we compete internationally when we are so disconnected?”
The high costs have also stifled innovation and entrepreneurial ventures.
Startups and freelancers, who rely heavily on affordable internet to access global markets, are unable to up their businesses.
Despite public outcry, the government’s response has been seen as tepid or insufficient.
Recent promises by LTA authorities to reduce data and call costs have yet to be materialized.
Some customers blamed the close relationship between government officials and telecom executives, alleging that policy reforms are often stalled by vested political interests.
“The government is not serious about making internet access a right rather than a privilege,” argues analyst and activist Jerome Kollie.
“What we need is a radical overhaul of the sector, including inviting more competitions and holding existing players accountable.”
The issue of expensive communication services goes beyond individual grievances; it is a national development challenge.
As Liberia aspires to bridge its infrastructural and educational gaps, affordable communication remains a critical enabler of progress.
Experts warn that without urgent action, Liberia risks being left further behind in the global digital economy.
“The digital divide is real,” says IT Specialist Melvin Worzie. “We can’t talk about development when the majority of our people can’t afford basic internet connectivity.”
Civil society organizations and student unions have begun organizing social media protests and petitions to demand change.
A local Liberian Journalist Nyantee Genero Samuel Togba said the unnotified actions from those GSM companies are worsen: “Today, I am no longer seeing my 15 thousand data for 5 dollars on the Orange network…it is like Orange Liberia has gone to status quo ante.”
Mohammed J. Kenneh reacted: “This country is a complete mess brother. People just making things hard for us everyday mehn.”
Aaron F. Wuokolo: Seriously my dear. “It’s now $10 for 10,000 data. What’s happening to us in this country?”
Jeff D. Jefferson, another Liberian Journalist added: “LTA’S Acting Chairperson, Abdullai Kamara, Acting Commissioners Ben Fofana, Clarence Massaquoi! Da your sign paper to reduce our data, right? We here!”
Liberians are no longer use to merely surviving in the margins of connectivity. Their voices are rising, and with them, they hope that one day, affordable communication will no longer be a privilege, but a right.
