The Ghanaian government is planning to construct and implement 1,006 telecom sites this year to enhance mobile service coverage in the country, particularly in rural areas.
These telecom sites are part of the “Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion” project unveiled in November 2020 by the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) to address the digital divide by strengthening basic telephony services in rural areas.
The project receives technical support from the Chinese company Huawei and financial backing from the China Exim Bank, which provided $155 million in financing to the government in 2020.
Out of the planned 2,016 telecom sites, 1,010 have already been constructed, and 618 are operational. This development allows citizens in approximately 1,620 rural communities to make calls and use data services. Ultimately, the project aims to benefit around 4 million people.
According to the latest statistics from the National Communications Authority (NCA), Ghana had 38.4 million mobile phone subscribers in the first quarter of 2023, with a penetration rate of 120.2%. The number of subscribers to mobile internet services stood at 22.6 million, covering approximately 71% of the population. However, these figures may be lower in reality, considering that some individuals own multiple SIM cards.
