He hinted that increasing rural connectivity by applying developing technologies would accelerate the overall development of the country.
The head of the London-based telecommunication organization was speaking at the launch of the 5th Annual Connecting Rural Communities Africa Forum 2010, which is scheduled to take place in Ghana from August 17 to 19 2010.
He said the focus on rural connectivity would help developing countries like Ghana to develop its e-governance, health and education, among others.
The CEO of CTO said such initiatives, apart from helping the nation-wide internet access drive, would also boost mobile banking and mobile money transfers, which are currently being undertaken in the country, as well as facilitating distance learning and teaching through virtual classrooms.
Dr. Spio-Garbrah, a former Minister of Communication, said CTO is interested in connecting the whole of Africa through the rural-connectivity system to support the efforts of various governments to promote public-private partnership.
He pointed out that a research conducted by the CTO showed that the United States of America has over 500 telephone companies operating in rural areas, with subscribers as co-owners of such projects.
In developing countries such as Ghana the bulk of the people live in the rural areas, hence the need to connect them through telecommunication.
Despite Haruna Iddrisus, Minister of Communication's announcement of growth in the country's telecom industry, tele density in the rural areas of the country is still low, proving a visible technology divide between the rural poor and urban dwellers.
Ghana presently boosts of 67 per cent telephone penetration with over 15 million subscriptions.
Many have revealed that communication should be made affordable and accessible for the rural masses to bridge the divide between the urban and rural consumers.
Though urban consumers are currently driving the growth of telecom sector, Dr Spio-Garbrah said there are opportunities for telecom players in rural areas.
“There are numerous opportunities in the rural areas. We think people in the villages do not have money but in other places through cooperatives rural people have been able to start and sustain telecom operations,” he said.
Dr Spio- Garbrah noted that it would among other things, examine policies of governments that would motivate companies in the telecommunications sector to venture into rural areas to connect the low-income earners.
The occasion was also be used to announce Ghana's hosting of the International Telecommunications Union workshop on numbering planning and convergence of numbering.
The workshop, scheduled for April 28 and 29, 2010 would address the use of country codes, national destination codes and subscriber numbers for telephone numbering.
The Deputy Minister of Communications, Gideon Kwame Boye Quarcoo, who made the announcement on behalf of the sector minister, told journalists that numbers have always played an important role in telecommunications.
He stated that the importance of numbering as a regulatory instrument has increased significantly over the years, as fair and transparent access to numbers have become an essential part of the competitive telecommunications market.
“Indeed, telecommunication numbering is a scarce resource that must be managed carefully by every country,” he said.
Mr. Quarcoo hinted that a properly managed numbering system also creates business opportunities.
He entreated the National Communications Authority, the main telecommunications regulation agency, to introduce innovative schemes to allow individuals to procure numbers for other services.
He emphasized that government, in proving its commitments to the development of the telecommunications industry, was putting in place the necessary infrastructure and policies to facilitate the improvement of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Emelia Ennin Abbey
Quelle/Source: Modern Ghana, 12.04.2010
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