Gov’t working to boost internet penetration to 95% by end of next year — Sowah Odotei

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The Ministry of Communications has said it is working with mobile network operators among other stakeholders to ensure internet connectivity reaches 95 percent of Ghana’s population by close of next year.

According to the Ministry, the government is working through the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) to, among other things, provide communication towers in highly inaccessible parts of the country.

A Deputy Minister of Communications, Vincent Sowah Odotei who made this disclosure expressed the confidence that with government leading the way in providing the right infrastructure, mobile network operators will follow suit to spread connectivity.

“Hopefully by December 2020, 95 percent of the Ghanaian population should have connectivity. Once they have connectivity, it will provide the platform for the accelerated digitization of the economy. This will ensure that every person, no matter where you live in Ghana, will be included in this digital transformation agenda,” he said.

The Deputy Minister was speaking at the official opening of the country office of US-based IT firm, Slamm Technologies in Accra.

Mr. Sowah Odotei said government through GIFEC has built about 1,000 communication towers in very hard to reach areas; a feat, he said, should work towards government meeting the 2020 target.

Slamm Technologies’ journey

Mr. Sowah Odotei who was the special guest of honour expressed his excitement to be a part of the official launch of the company.

He lauded Slamm Technologies for choosing Ghana as the official hub of its Africa operations and pledged government’s support to help the company succeed in its endeavors. 

Samuel Boateng, CEO of Slamm Technologies, recounting the story of Slamm, noted that the journey of Slamm began in 2008 by him and Francisca Boateng, his wife, in Virginia USA.

“Even though the world was embracing technology, there was the fear of what the future hold and I saw the opportunity to bring technology to the local communities in Virginia and by extension, the world. This is how Slamm started.

Back in 2008, we offered training in basic software and hardware support and since then, we haven’t looked back. We have gone on to render services such as cybersecurity support, building encryption and hardening military-strategic systems including Radio Frequency Identifiers (RFIDs),” he said.

Today, he explained that Slamm has trained thousands in the USA, UK and now in Ghana, Africa. Through Slamm’s support innovation through agility to transform cybersecurity industries, he added that many individuals and institutions across the globe now feel secure.

“We continue to provide IT Support, Professional Services and Turnkey Solutions to a wide array of clients: commercial, federal and military clients. We bring fresh perspectives and the industry’s best practices to each client’s project.

Citibusiness

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