Sam George inspects rural telephony projects in Eastern Region

The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has inspected Rural Telephony projects in the Eastern Region as part of efforts to assess and improve telecommunications infrastructure in underserved communities.

During the inspection, Mr.Sam George directed that all Rural Telephony sites across the country be upgraded to a minimum of 4G, saying rural communities must not be left behind as the world advances towards newer technologies.

He said providing communities with only 2G and 3G connectivity was no longer sufficient, particularly as countries around the world were moving towards 5G and 6G.

The Minister said the upgrade would improve the quality and speed of mobile services, enhance customer experience and help reduce network congestion.

“My challenge is that in today’s day and age, we say we’re connecting communities, and we give them 2G, 3G. The world has moved from 5G to 6G. So at least, we must give 4G to our network,” he said.

Mr. George stressed the need for government to treat telecommunications infrastructure as a critical component of national development, alongside roads, hospitals and other essential infrastructure.

“My view on rural telephony is that at least we must give them 4G. As a country, we need to make a decision. We’re investing in roads, hospitals; we must invest in telecom, and we must decide to convert all rural telephony sites to a minimum of 4G and be ready for 5G as well,” he added.

According to the Minister, modernising Rural Telephony sites will form an important part of government’s efforts to bridge Ghana’s digital divide and ensure that people in rural and underserved communities have access to reliable and faster telecommunications services.

He noted that better connectivity would also support digital services, businesses, education and other activities that increasingly depend on reliable internet access.

The inspection of the projects in the Eastern Region forms part of the Ministry’s broader efforts to monitor telecommunications infrastructure and identify areas that require upgrades and further investment.

Mr. Sam George reiterated government’s commitment to expanding digital connectivity and ensuring that rural communities benefit from Ghana’s digital transformation.