The Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) has opened a regional consumer service center in Gbarnga, Bong County, in a major step toward decentralizing telecommunications regulatory services, strengthening consumer protection, and improving oversight of service providers across Liberia.
The new facility is expected to provide residents, businesses, telecommunications operators, and other stakeholders outside Monrovia with direct access to regulatory services, including reporting network disruptions, lodging consumer complaints, addressing licensing and compliance issues, and seeking assistance from the regulator without having to travel to the capital.
The center forms part of the LTA's broader decentralization agenda, which seeks to bring regulatory services closer to communities, strengthen the Authority's presence in rural areas, improve monitoring of telecommunications services, and ensure that consumers receive value for their money.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, LTA Board Chairman Clarence Massaquoi said the establishment of the Gbarnga center fulfills a commitment made under the administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
He described the facility as more than a new office, characterizing it as a practical demonstration of decentralization and the government's determination to move essential public services closer to citizens rather than maintaining their concentration in Monrovia.
According to Massaquoi, the center will significantly reduce the financial and logistical challenges faced by local businesses, particularly community radio stations and internet service providers, which previously had to travel to Monrovia to complete regulatory and compliance processes.
He said the presence of the Authority in Bong County would also strengthen its capacity to independently investigate consumer complaints about poor telecommunications services and verify reports submitted by operators.
Massaquoi further disclosed that the LTA Board intends to gradually transfer the management of the center to qualified local residents as part of efforts to promote local participation and ownership.
He explained that community members, students, market women, civil society organizations, and youth groups would be engaged in educating residents about their rights and responsibilities as telecommunications consumers.
He also encouraged qualified residents of Bong County to apply for employment opportunities advertised by the Authority, emphasizing that local professionals should take advantage of opportunities to contribute to the development of the institution.
Looking ahead, the Board Chairman said the LTA hopes to acquire land in Gbarnga and construct a permanent regional office equipped with monitoring facilities.
Such a facility, he noted, would enable regulators to monitor telecommunications infrastructure across the county and independently assess network performance, strengthening accountability among service providers.
For his part, LTA Commissioner Patrick Honnah described the opening as a significant milestone in the Authority's decentralization efforts since its establishment in 2007.
He recalled that a similar consumer service center had earlier been established in Grand Bassa County, noting that the opening of the Gbarnga facility represents another step toward extending the Authority's services to other parts of the country.
Honnah said the center would serve consumers, local internet service providers, community radio stations, and other telecommunications stakeholders seeking assistance with complaints, licensing, regulatory requirements, and compliance matters.
He emphasized that with regulatory personnel now stationed in the region, local operators would no longer need to travel to Monrovia to process routine documentation and address regulatory concerns.
Beyond providing administrative services, Honnah said the center would strengthen the LTA's monitoring of telecommunications operators, particularly in the areas of service quality, network coverage, and consumer complaints.
He explained that the Authority's engineering and compliance teams would use the regional presence to identify network dead zones, investigate service disruptions, and engage mobile network operators in addressing persistent connectivity challenges.
The Commissioner also highlighted recent interventions undertaken through the Universal Access Fund (UAF) to improve telecommunications access in underserved communities.
He disclosed that the LTA had restored internet connectivity in Gbatala, Bong County, a community that previously had neither internet nor voice services.
He also referenced an intervention at a school in Division 33, Margibi County, where internet connectivity was restored, providing students with improved access to research materials and educational resources.
Honnah further disclosed that the Authority was working to upgrade 15 remote telecommunications towers from 2G to 4G technology to improve connectivity and expand access to modern telecommunications services in underserved areas.
As part of efforts to maximize existing infrastructure and reduce unnecessary duplication, he said the LTA was encouraging Orange Liberia and Lonestar Cell MTN to share telecommunications infrastructure to expand network coverage.
He added that similar interventions would be extended to other underserved counties, including Nimba, Lofa, and River Gee, as the Authority intensifies efforts to narrow the country's digital divide.
Meanwhile, Bong County Senator Prince K. Moye commended the LTA for translating its decentralization vision into practical action, describing the opening of the center as an important development for residents and businesses in the county.
Drawing from his experience as a former representative, Moye observed that Liberia's highly centralized governance system has often forced citizens to take local concerns to the national legislature, even when those issues could have been addressed more effectively at the county or regional levels.
He noted that many telecommunications complaints brought before lawmakers could be resolved more efficiently if relevant institutions maintained adequate personnel and operational capacity outside Monrovia.
The senator said the expansion of the LTA's presence across the country should improve consumer protection, strengthen regulatory oversight, and make telecommunications service providers more accountable to their customers.
However, he challenged the Authority to ensure fair competition among mobile network operators and intensify efforts to compel service providers to extend coverage to rural communities that remain without reliable telecommunications services.
Moye specifically cited Winukwala, a major market town along the road to Grand Bassa County, which he said currently has no GSM coverage.
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He expressed hope that the establishment of the Gbarnga center would encourage telecommunications companies to give greater attention to underserved communities and make rural connectivity a priority in their expansion plans.
On behalf of the Bong County Legislative Caucus and local authorities, the senator thanked the LTA for selecting Gbarnga as the location for the new regional consumer service center.
A representative of Lonestar Cell MTN also welcomed the establishment of the facility, describing it as a demonstration of renewed commitment to telecommunications consumers in Gbarnga and Buchanan.
The company representative said the center represents accountability, accessibility, and empowerment for people who depend on telecommunications services for communication, education, business, and innovation.
The representative emphasized that reliable telecommunications services are no longer a luxury but a necessity, adding that consumers deserve accessible facilities where their concerns can be heard and their rights protected.
Lonestar Cell MTN also acknowledged the LTA's efforts to place consumers at the center of telecommunications regulation, oversight, and service delivery.
The opening of the Gbarnga facility represents the latest development in the LTA's decentralization drive, following the establishment of its consumer service center in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, earlier in September 2026.
The Authority says it intends to extend similar services to other parts of Liberia as it works to strengthen regulatory oversight, improve service delivery, protect telecommunications consumers, and expand access to reliable services.
Read the original article on Liberian Observer.
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