Ursula: Over 1000 Telephony Sites Constructed

The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation and Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West Constituency, Hon. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has disclosed that 1010 rural telephony sites have been constructed by February 2024, out of a total of two thousand and sixteen expected sites.

The project, according to the Minister, forms part of the New Patriotic Party’s effort to enhance digitalisation in the country and also to drive the extension of mobile telephony nationwide, especially where the internet is not accessible.

Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful, during a press briefing at the Ministry of Information on Sunday, February 18, 2024, under the theme ‘Digital Infrastructure to Bridge the Digital Divide’, stated that six hundred and eighteen out of the one thousand and ten telephony sites that have been constructed already are in operation.

The project is expected to serve about four million citizens, currently serving citizens in about one thousand and two rural communities.

The project, she said, has been a game-changer, enabling Ghanaians to have internet seamlessly irrespective of location and network provider.

She further revealed that the remaining telephony sites are expected to be completed by the end of the year to ensure reliable, affordable, and secure broadband effectively.

She added that, the Rural Telephony Project, symbolizes more than just expanded telephony coverage adding that, it represents a significant stride toward a more connected, inclusive, and digitally empowered nation, transforming the lives of citizens in communities that were once unconnected, unserved or underserved.

“This government since 2017 decided to intensify efforts to ensure comprehensive network coverage across the country in line with our Digital Ghana Agenda. Between 2017 and 2018, in collaboration with the private sector, 430 Rural Telephony Sites were built and activated. This concerted effort connected approximately 700,000 previously underserved and unserved Ghanaians in remote communities, helping to bridge the digital divide and foster inclusive development.

She added, “Not satisfied with the pace of this and In a bid to accelerate and expand the coverage of the Rural Telephony Project, the government in 2020 secured a €155 million facility from the China EXIM Bank to start the Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project in partnership with Huawei and China National Technical Import and Export Corporation (CNTIC). They engaged a local partner, Ascend Digital Solutions, to execute this project. Under this visionary project, a total of 2,016 Rural Telephony Sites are to be constructed, to extend mobile network coverage to approximately 4 million residents of selected unserved and underserved communities, a significant step in bridging the digital divide.

“We are determined to leave no one behind in our quest for digital transformation. As at February 2024, 1,010 of the planned sites have been successfully constructed, with 618 of them already operational, offering essential Voice and Data services to citizens in about 1,620 rural communities who can now make calls and use data services, thereby enhancing social and economic activities in these communities. The Ministry will build the remaining 1,006 sites, integrate, and activate them all for voice and data services to ensure reliable, affordable, and secured broadband infrastructure this year.”