By Iddi Yire
Accra, Feb 14, GNA – The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) is considering communities in the Ketu South Constituency in the next phases of the Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project to help improve their network challenges.
That, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communications and Digitisation, reiterated, would depend on the availability of funds.
She said this on the floor of Parliament in her response to a question by Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu South.
Madam Gomashie wanted to know the steps the Ministry was taking to solve the challenges in the communication networks in the Ketu South Constituency.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful informed the House that MTN Ghana had connectivity in Klikor, Agbozome and the Diamond Cement Area of the Ketu South Constituency.
She noted that AirtelTigo had six operational sites in Ketu South, three of which were located at Aflao, with the remaining three at Agbozome, Avoeme and Denu.
All the six sites receive both 2G and 3G coverage telecommunication network.
“Mr Speaker, finances permitting, the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications will consider other communities in the Ketu South Constituency in upcoming phases of the Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project to help improve their network challenges,” she stated.
For further clarification, Madam Gomashie questioned how connectivity at Aflao could be improved to avoid data problems and the ability to make calls.
“Aflao alone is like a big constituency on its own, it has about 83 branches, now increased to hundred and over, so one mask is not enough to serve the people…”
In her response, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said: “The network operators are obliged by their license obligation to extend connectivity to district capitals, which all of them have done, but going beyond the district capitals, it is the commercial return on investment, largely influencing their rollout obligations.”
“We will continue to work with them, knowing how critical connectivity is for the growth of our digital economy to ensure that they improve the network challenges there.”
“I do know that Aflao is a very big border community and the economic activity there is vibrant and so, we will work with the network operators to see what they can do to extend connectivity there.”
GNA