The Gambia Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) claimed to be protecting public interest when the authority ordered a ban on free night calls, but one is tempted to ask: which public? 

For, the move has angered customers who are now asking for better explanation from the regulatory authority.

Former club DJ, Jatou Mbowe was among the first to take Facebook to vent their anger. She wrote: “So PURA, with all this slow internet, high call tariffs and super high cash power tariffs the only thing you guys can regulate is stopping free late night calls? Am disappointed!”

Dugie, a famous music producer, added: “very much disappointed in them.”

However, one Lat Ndure disagreed with Jatou saying PURA has valid reasons for the ban.

“They want these GSM companies to focus on their core business and improve on the quality of their networks rather than concentrate on all these promos,” he said adding: “I don’t know you all but I would rather my calls go through all the time rather than be having connection problems due to high network traffic.”

PURA is yet to issue a press release explaining why the ban, but one of their senior managers told GRTS that the main reason behind it is to improve GSM network performance.