The Minister of Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, says government is committed through its agencies to provide basic telephone voice and data connectivity to undeserved communities across the country.
She gave the assurance after commissioning two cell sites at Mofram and Twumwusu in the Asene Akroso Manso and Kwaebibirem districts of Eastern Region.
The cell sites are part of the Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC).
The project seeks to connect deprived communities to telecommunication services and also in line with government’s digitalisation agenda to create a strong digital country.
The Eastern Region is expected to benefit from 90 cell sites under the Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project.
A total of 55 out of the 90 cell sites are active for use, improving services for rural folks in targeted communities.
The Communication and Digitalisation Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, at the commissioning of two rural telephony sites in the Asene Manso Akroso and Kwaebibirem municipalities, conceded more communities need to be connected.
She was confident that the extension of the telecommunication networks to the various communities would go a long way to open up the local economy of the areas.
“This is to extend connectivity, that is what we are working at, across the country we are providing 2,016 cell sites that would connect about 4 milion Ghanaians who do no have networks today. We also know it’s not enough as there are about another two or three million who are still not connected.
“But we can’t do all at the same time, so we are working towards improving network connectivity across the country and this would go a long way towards solving the problem for many communities across the country which don’t have networks currently,” she added.
Some members of beneficiary communities were elated.
“Tekyiman and Prankese had network. We are in middle. Our connectivity wasn’t good enough [but] with the sites in place, we will achieve better connectivity,” one said.
Another added: “We had to walk to the roadside before we can get access to network, now I can sleep and make calls in my bedroom.”
The Communications Minister also commissioned two ICT centres at Akyem Awisa in the Birim South municipality and Asuom in the Kwaebibrem District to help the pupils in the communities with basic computer skills.
The centers are to be managed by a local body known as the Sustainability Management Committee on behalf of GIFEC.
By Yvonne Neequaye|3news.com|Ghana