Qcell Faces Scrutiny Over Unexplained Outages

Qcell, one of Sierra Leone’s leading telecommunications providers, is facing growing backlash as service disruptions continue to plague customers across the country. From the capital city of Freetown to rural towns, subscribers have reported frequent outages, with some areas left without mobile coverage for days at a time. The recurring interruptions have caused considerable frustration, with many users struggling to stay connected in an increasingly digital world.

While Qcell has attributed these disruptions to ongoing network upgrades, many customers are questioning the company’s commitment to service improvement. The lack of clear communication from the telecommunications provider has been a key point of criticism. Subscribers have expressed frustration over being left in the dark about the reasons for the outages, with little to no advance notice or updates regarding the expected duration of service interruptions.

“This is unacceptable,” said Amara Kamara, a frequent Qcell customer in Freetown. “I rely on my phone for work, and when the network goes down for days, it affects everything. There’s no warning, no updates, and it’s like they don’t care about us.”

The issue has sparked widespread concern among Sierra Leoneans, including local regulators and civil society groups, who are calling for increased oversight of Qcell’s operations. Critics argue that the company’s explanation of “network upgrades” lacks transparency and measurable evidence that improvements are actually taking place. For many, the term “upgrade” feels more like a catch-all excuse for poor service delivery and underperformance.

In response, a coalition of concerned citizens, along with industry regulators, is pushing for stronger accountability measures to ensure that Qcell is meeting its obligations to customers. Key demands include:

• Advance Notification: Qcell should provide clear, timely notifications to customers and relevant authorities before undertaking any network maintenance or upgrades, so that users can prepare for potential service disruptions.
• Clear Communication: The company must communicate more effectively, providing regular updates on the status of upgrades and any changes to service availability.
• Regulatory Oversight: Civil society groups are calling for independent oversight of Qcell’s operations to verify claims of infrastructure improvements and ensure the company is meeting industry standards.

While the situation remains unresolved, many subscribers are holding out hope that these calls for change will bring about a more customer-centric approach from Qcell. “We just want better service,” said Mariama Conteh, a subscriber from Bo. “We pay for a service, and we deserve to get what we’re promised. If they’re really upgrading the network, they need to show us that it’s worth the wait.”

As Sierra Leone’s telecommunications sector continues to grow and evolve, it is clear that customers are demanding more transparency, accountability, and better service delivery from companies like Qcell. Whether these calls for reform will be heard remains to be seen, but for now, subscribers continue to voice their frustrations, hoping for a resolution that will improve their experience and restore confidence in the country’s mobile networks.