QCell Reaffirms Commitment During Parliamentary Oversight Visit

By Abdul Rahman Bah

QCell Sierra Leone has reaffirmed its commitment to innovation, nationwide service delivery, and affordable telecommunications during a parliamentary oversight visit by the Parliamentary Committee on Communication, Technology, and Innovation on Tuesday, 26th August 2025. The session, held at QCell’s headquarters on King Harman Road in Freetown, formed part of Parliament’s constitutional mandate to assess the performance of key players in the telecom sector.

Led by Committee Chairman Honourable Boston Munda, the delegation engaged QCell’s senior leadership in a wide-ranging discussion on operational achievements, service expansion, network upgrades, customer satisfaction, and persistent challenges.

QCell CEO Kamayani Karthink welcomed the MPs and presented an overview of the company’s journey since its establishment in 2018. He described QCell’s transformation from a new entrant into one of Sierra Leone’s leading telecom providers as a product of determination, local commitment, and technological innovation. He emphasized that QCell’s identity is anchored in “Salone Pride”—a philosophy rooted in passion, respect, innovation, discipline, and efficiency.

Karthink highlighted QCell’s drive to reduce telecom costs while expanding coverage, even in hard-to-reach rural areas. He noted that more than 80% of QCell’s sites are solar-powered, enabling services in districts beyond Freetown. “We’ve expanded into remote communities to ensure no one is left behind,” he said.

Chief Technical Officer Atteya Baher outlined QCell’s recent technological upgrades, reporting that over 90 sites were upgraded from 3G to 4G and 75 new solar-powered sites added in 2025 alone. He also announced the successful completion of 5G trials, positioning QCell as a future-ready operator. In a landmark achievement, Baher pointed to the launch of cross-border QMoney mobile transfers between Sierra Leone and The Gambia—the first initiative of its kind in West Africa.

Head of Marketing Edward Nelson Pratt underscored QCell’s mission to make digital services accessible to all. He revealed that the average cost of 1GB of data has dropped from about $5 in 2018 to less than $1 in 2025, thanks to competitive pricing and infrastructure investments. Pratt also highlighted QCell’s community engagement initiatives in education, sports, gender empowerment, and health, including the distribution of affordable smartphones and MiFi devices to broaden digital access.

In his opening remarks, Chairman Honourable Boston Munda stressed that the visit was not intended as intimidation but as a “family discussion” to ensure accountability and improved service delivery. While praising QCell’s progress, he raised concerns from citizens, particularly about call quality, internet reliability, and mobile money services.

“This business is about what people experience. It’s not just about infrastructure; it’s about how the service reaches the customer,” Munda stated. He pointed to ongoing drive tests in Freetown, with nationwide expansion planned, as part of efforts to independently assess service quality across all operators.

During the interactive session, MPs pressed QCell executives on expansion timelines, customer service systems, and solutions for connectivity gaps in certain districts. QCell responded with details on ongoing projects, network optimization, and customer feedback mechanisms.

Closing the session, Honourable Munda commended QCell’s contributions to Sierra Leone’s telecom sector and urged continued collaboration with Parliament to enhance access, affordability, and service quality. He reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to ensuring that public interest remains at the heart of all sector developments.