Extend services to rural areas - Ursula to telcos

Government has expressed its commitment to providing all communities in the country with reliable mobile networks.

This comes on the heels of a six-month ultimatum to three telecommunication companies including Airtel to extend their services to Adaklu and its surrounding areas or face sanctions following complaints of poor connectivity by residents in the area.

Speaking to Class News, Communications Minister Ursula Owusu Ekuful said a number of measures have been rolled out to ensure telecom services are extended to every rural community in the country.

“We are working to ensure that we connect all the parts of our country so that no one is left behind,” she stated.

“There is no point having services only in the big cities whilst the vast majority of our population lives in the countryside, so it’s important that we extend all these services to them. And there is a commercial incentive for them to do so because there is a thirst for internet connectivity and even access to telephony around the country. And mobile money is also improving and increasing by the day and so there is a need for them to also be included in this digital transformation which is taking place in our country.”

She noted that government is “committed to making sure that our partners, the private sector, mobile network operators also live up to their obligations”, adding: “Some are even doing beyond what they are expected to and reaching into communities where ordinarily they wouldn’t go.”