Communication Ministry commissions 4 network sites in Sekyere Afram Plains

The Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has commissioned four community network sites in the Sekyere Afram Plains District of the Ashanti Region as part of efforts to extend internet connectivity to underserved communities.

The sites, located at Nyameama No. 1, Nyameama No. 2, Dawia and Abenua, are expected to improve access to online services and digital opportunities in the beneficiary communities and surrounding areas.

The Minister, who inspected the facilities during a working visit to the district, said the government is also auditing 2,016 network sites inherited under an existing contract to establish how many have been completed and are actively providing connectivity.

“We want to do a status update. At the board level, we've authorised the administrator also to carry out an audit to ascertain the status of all of the sites, whether the sites are up and constructed, and when they are constructed, whether they're active and passing traffic,” he said.

The audit is expected to provide a clearer picture of the project's implementation and help identify facilities that require attention.

The Minister expressed concern about the theft of batteries at some community network sites, warning that the practice threatens efforts to bridge the digital divide.

He called on traditional authorities, the district assembly and the youth to protect the facilities, particularly the batteries powering the solar-powered systems.

“Because if the batteries get stolen, the site goes off,” he warned.

According to him, investigations into reports of network outages have sometimes revealed stolen or tampered-with batteries, faulty electricity meters and other technical challenges.

He urged district authorities to pay closer attention to the facilities and help prevent the theft of equipment.

"Expanding connectivity to rural communities remains important, particularly as telecommunications companies may be reluctant to invest in areas where the population and expected revenue cannot justify the cost of operating conventional telecom masts," he noted.

Sam George explained that the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) supports the deployment of smaller community networks to serve such locations.

“Today across the country, electricity is important to people, roads are important to people, water is important to people. But a real challenge that people want is connectivity,” he said.

Sam George stressed that some of the communities visited had no electricity, yet the government was working to provide internet access through solar-powered infrastructure.

He, however, called for the community networks to be upgraded from 3G to 4G to ensure residents enjoy a better digital experience.

"Expanding 5G services in major cities without upgrading rural networks could widen the digital divide".

The Minister said the government would continue working with GIFEC and other stakeholders to extend digital access to communities that remain underserved by conventional telecommunications infrastructure.

By Awurakuaa Ofosuhemaa/Akoma FM