GIFEC moves to boost telecom services in rural areas

Telecom services in some rural communities in the country may soon receive a boost as the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) will by the end of the year erect 50 telecom masts in some under-served communities throughout the country.

Currently, 10 have already been completed, 20 are being tested, while contract for another 20 has been awarded for execution before the year ends.

Communities

Beneficiary communities include Adiokor, Banso, Kofitiakrom in the Brong Ahafo Region; Taviefe, Matse, Abunyanya, Tinyase in the Volta Region; Dwiribiase, Amankwakrom in the Eastern Region and in the Ashanti Region, the beneficiaries include Aboaboso and Asoboi.

The Administrator/ CEO of the fund, Mr Kofi Attor, told the Daily Graphic that the intervention was to improve the poor telecom services in rural communities where the telcos had not reached with their infrastructure.

“Our mandate is to bridge the rural-urban digital gap. These telecom masts will ensure that our people in the rural communities are able to make and receive calls just like those in the cities so they are not left out of the growing technology world,” he said.

GIFEC donation

Earlier, the fund had presented 20 desktop computers and uninterrupted power systems (UPS), with a pledge to add a printer and a projector before the end of October, to the Department of Information Studies of the University of Ghana.

The donation of the items worth GH¢33,400 was in response to a request made by the department.

While urging the students to put the items to good use, he also advised the department heads to ensure that all the machines worked.

“We don’t want a situation where you  give 20 computers to a school  and about six months later, about seven will not be working,” he said.

The Head of the Department, Prof. Perpetua Dadzie, pledged that all the machines would be put to good use and expressed appreciation to the GIFEC for the gesture.

A student, Mr Isaac Awatey, was full of praise for the GIFEC for the presentations and said it would go a long way to improve teaching and learning in the department.

By Seth J. Bokpe/Daily Graphic/Ghana