Approximately 3.5 million Ghanaians in rural areas will have telephony connectivity by the end of 2024, according to the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC).

This initiative, funded by the government with €155 million since 2020, aims to provide telephony networks to unserved and underserved communities.

To achieve this, GIFEC plans to construct 2,016 telephony sites, of which 1,010 have already been built and 643 connected. The remaining sites are expected to be completed by September 2024.

During the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Akuful’s tour of basic schools ahead of the Girls-In-ICT regional competition, the Chief Executive of GIFEC, Eva Andoh Poku, said that 2,016 telephony sites are being targeted for construction to serve this purpose.

She revealed that GIFEC's primary objective is to provide telephony connectivity and ICT equipment nationwide, supporting capacity building in the tech sector.

“We have constructed 1,010 sites across the country and connected 643 sites. We are looking forward to completing all 2,016 by the end of this year. So we are working tirelessly to ensure that we complete them by the end of September.”

The organization has also been providing technical support for the Communication and Digitalisation Ministry's Girls in ICT initiative, aimed at bridging the digital divide.

The Girls-In-ICT Ghana initiative has been active for the past four years, aiming to empower 1,000 girls annually with ICT skills nationwide.

This year, students from every district in Greater Accra will participate in the upcoming regional competition, commencing next week.

JKB/OGB