Accra, Oct. 6, GNA - A total of 620 Ghana Telecom (GT) payphones has been relocated due to the low patronage in their current locations and general improvement in mobile telephony service in the urban areas. Dr. Benjamin Aggrey Ntim, Minister of Communications, who made the point in an answer to a question in the House, said the relocation was done between 2006 and 2007.
He was responding to a question by Mr. Kwame Owusu Frimpong, NDC-Ahafo North on what plans the Ministry of Communications has to put the numerous unused payphones dotted around the cities and big towns into effective use in the face of hectic competition from myriad cell phone operators.
Industry experts who spoke to the Ghana News Agency said the use of mobile phones versus fixed lines was in a serious dilemma, especially with a heavy burden on government to ensure that an increasing number of the population get access to not only fixed lines, but to the internet as well.
The Minister did not give the geographical redistribution, but said 272 payphones had been relocated within the Greater Accra Region, 121 in Ashanti, 77 in Western and 19 in the Eastern Regions.
He said 60 payphones have been relocated in the Central Region and 27 in the Brong Ahafo while the Volta, Northern and Upper East Regions have 30, 8 and 6 respectively. None of the relocations had taken place in the Upper West Region.
This brought Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh, NDC-Wa West to his feet to question the Minister why none of the payphones had been relocated in his region. He therefore asked what criteria were used in determining towns and villages that should benefit from the relocation.
To this the Minister said GT had a programme in place and expressed the hope that Upper West would be receiving some payphones in the near future.
Mr Mahama Ayariga, NDC-Bawku Central expressed concern about the trend in the relocation and urged the Ministry to ensure that the redistribution of the payphones should be done more across regions than within borders, "especially to regions and areas where they are most needed and where the populations may not have easy access to mobile phones."
On when telephone facilities would be extended to the newly created Ga East District Capital of Abokobi/Pantang and the surroundings, Mr Ntim said GSM services are available in the two areas, but will be extended to be used to provide fixed cellular terminals to prospective customers.
He noted that access to internet connectivity can be obtained through the fixed cellular terminals for the people to use.
The Minister said GT currently does not cover Oyarifa, but it intends to extend coverage there by the second quarter of 2008, adding that coverage in the Ga East is expected to improve when the new GSM site at Oyarifa is completed.
He said MTN already has full coverage in Pantang and with their current programme surrounding towns will be covered by the end of the year. Dr Ntim said the Worawora Community Information Centre will be commissioned soon, saying the first phase of a physical infrastructure of a Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) has been completed.
"In addition, a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) has been installed for the WAN under the Ghana/Indian government collaboration.
He said even though the centre is operational, the second phase requires the provision of fax machines, Television, printers and computers, saying: "the Ministry will make arrangements with the local authorities to formally commission the centre in the coming weeks.
Dr Ntim said Bogoso and Prestea already have fixed telephone facilities, when the question by Mr Albert Kwaku Obbin, NDC- Huni Valey spoke to the contrary. He explained that Aboso and Huni Valley, as well as the people of Juabeso, would get GT fixed land services by the first and second quarters of 2008.
