Minister pledges government’s support for telecom operators

Deputy Minister of Communications, Mr Ato Edward Sarpong, has reiterated government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment to help telecommunication operators grow.

Speaking at the brand transformation launch of mobile network operator Tigo in Accra, he said growth in the telecom sector would ultimately benefit the country as it would help create jobs and improve living standards.

Mr Sarpong said government was committed to bridging the digital divide between rural and urban, and considering several options which would help expand access to telephony services in rural areas.

He expressed optimism about the positive gains of the telecom sector explaining that despite the challenges Tigo encountered during the transition from analogue to GSM, it was still a dominant force in the market.

Mr Sarpong said with over 35 million mobile subscribers and 17 million data subscribers in Ghana, Tigo needed to be commended for keeping pace with the changing times.

“Twenty-five years of operation in Ghana is a big milestone especially in the light of all the technological changes that have since taken place globally. For being the first operator in the country and reinventing yourself over the years, Tigo should be commended,” he said.

Mr Sarpong praised the company for investing millions of Cedis over the last couple of years to improve network quality, rolling out to new areas and building data centres.

He urged telecom operators in the country to join forces in accelerating 4G network rollout to increase internet usage.

“Recently, we auctioned 800MHz band for mobile services – one is still available and we are hoping that operators will put resources together and use it for the benefit of our people,” he said.

Source: GNA