Comms. Minister updates parliament on Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project

 
In Parliament on Tuesday, MP for North Dayi Joycelyn Tetteh and MP for Kpando Dela Sower took turns to ask the Minister for Communication and Digitalization Ursula Owusu about the current stages of the Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project in their respective constituencies.   
 

 

Joycelyn Tetteh MP for North Dayi raised concerns about the absence of network connectivity in Tsrukpe, Botoku and Tsorxor and enquired of the Communication Ministry’s plans to provide access to telephone networks for these areas.
 

 

Madam Ursula Owusu responded that as part of the phase 1 of the project, the Ghana Investment Funds for Electronic Communications GIFEC has built a site at Tsorxor, ready to be activated. Nevertheless, that will take until the end of this year to accomplish. She noted that a connectivity drive test from Tsrukpe and Botoku have been undertaken and the site will be constructed in the second phase of the project.

 

 

Hon Joycelyn Tetteh, MP, North Dayi

 

She tells the house, “My information is that all network operators currently do not have any coverage plans for the community. But will provide services on the Rural Telephony Network to these communities once it’s completed.”
 
The MP reminded the Minister that, “The project at Tsorxor started last year and the people were promised that before the end of the year, the project will be completed. I will be pleased on behalf of my people from Tsorxor if the minister can give them assurance when the project will be completed in Tsorxor.”
 
Madam Ursula Owusu, Minister of Communication

 

“We need to complete phase 1 before we start phase 2.  phase one is ongoing and as I will say categorically that by the end of this year Tsorxor  should have it signed up because the contractors are back on the project and are working actively as we speak”. The minister detailed.

 

 

Joycelyn Tetteh again asked for assurances for the people of Tsrukpe and Botoku was informed there is the need to secure funding for the phase 2. In addition, to that sites for masts in these communities are being identified before the phase 2 commences.

 

The minister intervened saying “I cannot give you an assurance as to when that will start” because “there are many communities that don’t have connectivity but the available technology may not be applicable for those communities….. “
 

 

Similar issues on mobile connectivity, were raised by Member of Parliament for Kpando  Mrs. Dela Sowah who acknowledged that  some work has begun in Gbefi Tornu and is it nearing completion.
 
Hon. Dela Sowah, MP, Kpando Constituency
 
Meanwhile, land has been acquired in Kudzra for construction to commence. However, no specific timelines were provided for the commencement of work in Kudzra, and Sovie communities.
 
The minister reacting to issues of poor mobile connectivity said, MNT with presence in Torko, has also captured Sovie in their 2022 network rollout plan for connectivity and noted further that the remaining communities namely Dafoe Tornu and Torkor will be considered in phase 2 of the Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project.
 
Her attention was immediately  drawn to the problematic nature of MTN connections in the aforementioned areas and she said “……. I will notify MTN and ask them to work on the connectivity issues in that community.”
 
The Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project is part of government effort to spread basic telephone voice and data connectivity to every part of the country.  

#NoCallsDay protest against SIM card re-registration

The group, Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers says its members are scheduled to boycott all mobile network activities from 6 am to 12 midday on Tuesday, February 8, 2022.

 

The group has former Members of Parliament, Private Legal Practitioners, Members of Civil Society Organizations as well as Media practitioners, protesting the ongoing SIM re-registration exercise which is bedeviled with numerous challenges.

 

It earlier entreated the National Communications Authority to call off its directive to the public to re-register SIM cards, saying that the “attempt to impose this on subscribers or block their lines would amount to an infringement of their property rights.”

 

 

The group has gathered over 7,000 signatures online and are calling on all Ghanaians to join the #NoCallsDay campaign.

 

A Statement issued by the Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers reads “Following the failure of the National Communications Authority (NCA) and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to address concerns associated with the legality and chaotic Sim-Reregistration Exercise, we the undersigned Concerned Mobile Network Subscribers, and the over 7000 online petitioners, call upon our fellow countrymen and women to join our campaign for a #NoCallsDay boycott  of the MNOs on Tuesday 8th February 2022.”

“The statement appealed to Ghanaians and all mobile network users within Ghana not to make and or receive calls and all associated mobile network activities from 6 am to 12 midday on Tuesday,”

The group speculates the SIM card re-registration exercise is Illegal and wants the following issues addressed;

 

(I) The NCA should immediately withdraw its directive for mobile network customers to re-register their SIM cards by 31st March 2022.

 

(II) Appropriate legal framework must be in place for any directives for sim re-registration to happen.

 

(III) A demand for the NCA and MNOs to come up with a better and innovative way of re-registering the SIM cards without the current chaotic and inhumane re-registration process we are witnessing up and down the country.

 

(IV) The NCA should direct the MNOs to stop using private phones of employees to collect subscribers’ biometric data.’’

 

If the NCA fails to pay heed to the February 8 call, the group says that will hold a full day’s (6 am – 6 pm) boycott on Tuesday 15th February, and same every other Tuesday until the appropriate action is taken by the NCA & MNOs.

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