Author: Shepherd Yaw Morttey

What is Net Neutrality?

The phrase “net neutrality” refers to the principle that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should treat all data provided to customers equally and without restriction to block out competitors. In essence, it keeps ISPs from choosing which data gets streamed at a faster rate and which websites are blocked or throttled.

For example, let’s say we have an imaginary internet service provider in Ghana called “NETwork1”. When you are a subscriber onNETwork1, and you access a website like Mfidie.com, the speed at which your ISP (NETwork1) delivers Mfidie.com to you, is the same speed at which NETwork1 will deliver any other site.

This means that on the same ISP, there is virtually no class of Internet Users. Without Net Neutrality, companies or individuals willing to pay more may get a freer, faster Internet service, which could lead to two classes of Internet user: one rich in money and information, the other poor in both.

United States: In 2015, Net neutrality was made official policy through new FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulatory rules that treated ISPs as a public utility following extensive industry and public debate.

Net Neutrality in Ghana

The heading above is tricky! Has there ever been net neutrality in Ghana, or will there? For starters, it is difficult to pinpoint laws and regulations governing the internet in Ghana. Apart from those that generally govern communications and cybercrime.

Ghana has faced net neutrality crisis in the past, as the NCA considered banning Skype, Viber, WhatsApp, etc with the witless excuse that they were causing telecoms companies to lose revenue. ISPs in Ghana don’t look like they are willing to treat all data provided to customers equally and without restriction. They would gladly wipe out the competition, and the NCA is prepared to consider them.

There are over 9 million Internet users in Ghana. /July 2017.

There is also the issue of “data packages”. Pay GHS 5 and get 400 MB for Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo. While this is not entirely against Net Neutrality, it is still giving some companies or services “more” data, maybe a loophole in net neutrality?

With the FCC voting to kill net neutrality, it is only wise to assume that Telecoms in Ghana will continue to suggest more ways the segregate bandwidth and internet services for Ghanaians, and the NCA will gladly consider all these. It is now the responsibility of us consumers to let them know we are for Net Neutrality!

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Exactly a year ago, Ghana was at the polls to elect parliamentarians and a President. A lot happened, in the online space before the elections.

Probably one that a lot of people will not forget was the pronouncement by the then Inspector General of Police (IGP) John Kudalor. He announced the Ghana Police Service was considering blocking social media across the country on election day.

His announcement did not go well with a lot of people, and I remember how the BloggingGhana community was not enthused with the move. He later explained in an interview with Joy News, that “If people are churning out the type of information which are quite false then why not? The security of this nation is paramount.”

Given the huge popularity, usage and penetration of the Internet and Social Media in Ghana, it would be totally wrong to assume it did not have any effect on the election. Politicians from the then ruling NDC, as well as their counterparts from the NPP, PPP, etc all harnessed the power and tools of the internet to reach the “masses” and convince them to vote.

Using social media as an effective marketing campaign is not a new thing. In the last US election, multiple releases by Facebook has revealed how much the social media network was used, and the extent to which it had an impact, even leading to offline events in some scenarios.

The last election before the 2016 elections happened in 2012. Yes, there was social media. Yes, there were internet users. Yes, there were blogs. No, they didn’t play many roles. Traditional media and traditional campaign methods still led the way.

That is not to say that the traditional means of doing the business of elections lost their impact. Rather, more emphasis was given to social media.

Now to the big question: Did the internet impact Ghana’s election for the first time in the 2016 election? The answer would be YES!

How so?

First, there was so much social media discussion and information sharing that one would think the elections were going to be won on social media. The seriousness of the discussions and sometimes the heat that attributed them led to the “preaching of peace” on social media too.

Notable among them was Penplusbytes’ “Ghana Elections 2016: Social Media Monitoring for Peaceful Elections” Project. The Project tracked potential elections irregularities on social media for a period before the election in December.

You remember Politicians streaming campaign live on Facebook? Yes, politicians believed so much in social media that there were more campaigns streamed on Facebook than on television stations.

For one, streaming on social media was less expensive and you could provoke actual discussions while the event is in the process, as well as reach electorates faster and more conveniently.

These broadcasts, particularly those of the NDC and NPP were so popular that at the climax of the election campaign season, there were tens of thousands of viewers during such broadcasts.

Social media was often used as a means to keep vigilante one the election day and throughout the counting process. Many people, even before election day, had said they did not want a repeat of the election petition. They, therefore, had to “open their eyes”, and more often than not, they used social media to open the eyes of people who could not be there with them physically.

Did this sort of been vigilante work? To a large extent, I would say it did. It brewed confidence in the electoral process. After all, in Ghana, Seeing is believing!

The internet and social media are here to stay, and the impact in the 2016 Ghana Elections is just the beginning. A year on, and the Internet and Social media continue to harness so much strength that they are been used to tackle national issues and hold very interesting discussions.

Getting a Biometric Ghanaian Passport Online has never been easy. Starting from January 2017, applications were opened to apply for legal biometric passports online. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration launched the online passport application service for Ghanaians to ease the mode of the application while ensuring maximum security for applicants.

Since then, there has been a lot of talk about the process, with some Ghanaian been sceptical about the whole “online application” process. We wrote a long post explaining every detail of the application process. You can read that in full here.

However, in this post, we look at some basic information we think you should know before you start the whole application process. If the information on this page is not enough, you can read a chunk of questions our readers have posted (with answers) about the application of the Biometric Ghanaian Passport online here. You can also ask your own questions on that same page.

Let us now look at the 4 important things you should know as a Ghanaian before you attempt the online application.

Is the whole online Biometric Ghanaian Passport Real?

Probably the most common question we are expected to answer each day. The answer still remains what it has been since day one. Yes! You can apply for your Biometric Ghanaian Passport online, and receive your genuine passport.

Yes, the application is real. Yes, there are testimonies of people who have filled the form and have received their passport.

Perhaps, the biggest yes would be that I personally renewed my passport through the process. Just like applying for Business Registration Online is real, so is the passport application.

https://mfidie.com/premium-ghana-passport-application-centre/

What is the difference between an Expedited Application and a Standard Application?

As with almost any other service, some people may need it more than others. The Biometric Passport Application is no different in this regard. There are two types of Application.

The first one is the Expedited Application which is popularly known as “Express Passport”, and the Standard Application, which we could just refer to as the normal application.

The Express Passport application form costs GHS 100, while the Standard Passport Application costs GHS 50, here in Ghana. The reason the express application costs more is that you get your passport in 15 days using that method. The Standard Application averagely takes a month.

Note that a passport that was delivered via the Express Application looks no different from one that passed through the Standard Application.

Do I have to still go to the Passport Application Centre after filling my Ghanaian Passport Form Online and what will I be going to do there?

Yes, you need to go to the Accra Passport Application Centre (PAC) to complete your online application. One may ask: If the application is online, then why go to the Accra PAC to complete it?

Well, the PAC needs to take your biometric data and photograph with their own systems. Also, you will be vetted by up to 4 Vetting Officers at the PAC to determine that your application is genuine, you are a Ghanaian, among other things.

The PAC is located just around the Department of Urban Roads in Accra, near the popular Tema Station (Tema Station is ironically not in Tema). You can follow directions to the Accra Passport Application Centre here.

Sample Filled Biometric Ghanaian Passport Online Application Form

If you are ever in doubt how what information you need to fill the passport application form, we have included a sample application form filled for a Biometric Passport as it appeared online. Download it here: Sample-Passport-Biometric-Ghana-Online-Passport-Application

Comments for this post have been closed. If you have questions, kindly ask here: Ghana Online Passport Application Discussion – Tips, Problems, Process and More

Don’t forget to share this with your family and friends. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Mfidie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
If you want to be part of our team of writers or you want to Guest write, send a WhatsApp Message to 0242022161 or simply call. You can alternatively fill the form here and we will be in touch.