Gov’t committed to broadband infrastructural development – President Mahama

President John Daramani Mahama on Thursday pledged the government’s readiness to continuously promote the rapid development of broadband infrastructure to reach all parts of the country to ensure that improved connectivity provided better access to health care and health information.

He said improved broad Information Communication Technology would also improve opportunities for education and training, transportation, protection of environment and management of natural resources, and to support E-government to create transparency in government.

President Mahama, who was delivering his State of the Nation Address in Parliament, said there the need for all Ghanaians to live in a country with improved infrastructure which is inextricably linked to enhancing the quality of life.

He said the viability of private sector investments hinges on a robust and functional infrastructure of roads, rail, sufficient and efficient energy, and stable water supply and a seamless communications and ICT infrastructure.

“Government would use information technology to support infrastructure development, urban renewal, land use management and environmental protection”, he added.

He said Ghana was in 2011 listed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as one of the top ten most dynamic performing countries in ICT -for- development due to a rise in telephone subscription in the country which was pecked close to 26 million as of December 2012, representing more than double the number as of December 2008.

He said work on the Eastern Corridor Rural Fibre Optic backbone network project would be accelerated to add 584 kilometres of optic fibre stretching from Ho to Bawku and linking 70 towns to improve the quality of communication services.

He said with the ICT sector expanding, attention would be focused on measures to protect the privacy of the individual and personal data.

He pledged to develop strategies to counter the growing threats of cyber attacks and other online security concerns and accelerate preparations towards migration from Analogue to Digital Television Transmission.

“The Better Ghana ICT Project would be given a major boost this year and the government would commence the distribution of 400,000 laptop computers to schools and students”, he added.

Source: GNA