Gov't Targets End-of-Week Activation of Four Rural Connectivity Sites in Sekyere Afram Plains

The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, says four rural connectivity sites in the Sekyere Afram Plains District of the Ashanti Region are expected to become operational by the end of the week as the government intensifies efforts to expand telecommunications access to underserved communities.

The sites are located at Dawia, Abenua, Nyameama 1 and Nyameama 2, which the minister inspected during a working tour of the district to assess progress on rural telephony infrastructure.

Speaking after the inspection, Hon. Sam George said the contractor had assured the team that the Dawia site would be activated by the close of the day, with connectivity expected to be relayed from the donor site at Birem.

He added that the remaining three sites were also expected to become operational by the end of the week.

“We are told by the end of the week we should have the sites at Abenua, Nyameama 1, and Nyameama 2 powered by Isaka,” he said.

The minister described the field visit as an opportunity to assess the progress of work, engage directly with beneficiary communities and identify challenges affecting the delivery of connectivity services.

Working with the District Chief Executive, Hon. Abubakar Issaka, Mr George said the team had identified three additional communities where telecommunications equipment needed to be installed urgently.

He said he had directed the administrator of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) to expedite work on those locations.

The minister explained that the government was also preparing to evaluate a contract covering 2016 sites inherited by the current administration.

According to him, the ministry would meet the contractor to review the work completed, while GIFEC had been authorised to conduct an audit to establish the status of the sites.

The audit is expected to determine whether the sites have been constructed and, where construction has been completed, whether they are operational and transmitting network traffic.

Sam George said the government remained committed to extending digital connectivity to communities that commercial telecommunications operators might consider financially unviable.

He stressed that the administration wanted every community, regardless of its size, to have access to telecommunications services.

He expressed optimism that the ongoing work would significantly improve connectivity across the district before the end of 2026, although he acknowledged that not all outstanding projects might be completed within the period.