'If I steal your data, I lose my bonus' – MTN CEO Stephen Blewett on data depletion concerns

MTN Ghana CEO Stephen Blewett understands the frustration of disappearing data.

On April 2, he spoke at MTN House in Accra. He addressed claims that telecom companies steal users’ data. Mr. Blewett firmly rejected this accusation.

“I have been doing this job for a long time,” he said.

“Every country I’ve ever been to has said, ‘You’re stealing my data.’”

He emphasized that there is no incentive for MTN to engage in data theft.

Mr. Blewett explained that undeclared revenue would harm financial transparency. It would also affect his earnings negatively.

“I swear to God as my witness: we have no reason to want to steal your data,” he stated.

“My bonus depends on declared revenue. If I steal your data, I can’t declare it.”

His comments aimed to dispel the idea that MTN would tamper with user data for profit.

Mr. Blewett noted that many misunderstand how improved network performance affects data use.

“Here’s the difficult part of improving our network,” he explained.

“A better network means data goes quicker.”

He used streaming platforms as an example of this phenomenon.

“If you have a good network, YouTube plays higher-resolution videos,” he said. “Guess what happens to your data? It just eats it up.”

He compared this process to the classic arcade game Pac-Man, emphasizing it’s not MTN’s doing.

Mr. Blewett observed cultural differences in mobile usage between Ghana and other countries.

“In other countries, people hold their phones horizontally,” he said, mimicking the grip.

“But in Ghana, everyone holds their phone vertically,” he added, suggesting a focus on video watching.

“There are so many YouTube videos I don’t know about,” he chuckled, noting Ghanaians' appetite for video content impacts their data consumption significantly.

To reassure customers, Mr. Blewett highlighted MTN’s strict auditing processes for billing transparency.

“We are independently audited,” he stated. “If there was something wrong with our billing, auditors wouldn’t pass our financials.”

MTN also has internal checks in place for billing accuracy.

“We have a revenue assurance department constantly checking for leakages,” he revealed.

For Mr. Blewett, maintaining billing integrity is crucial.

“We don’t want any revenue leakages or incorrect billing of people’s data.”

Despite confidence in MTN's systems, Mr. Blewett acknowledged customer frustrations over fast-depleting data.

“I know people may not be happy to hear this," he admitted. "But it’s the truth."

He related personally by sharing his experience as a consumer too.

“I know how it feels because I’ve been a customer as well,” he said.

His message was clear: Data depletion isn’t due to theft but reflects changing habits and better networks.