Sam George pushes for nationwide 4G upgrade of rural telephony sites

Samuel Nartey George, Ghana's Minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, has issued an order mandating all Rural Telephony sites across the nation to be upgraded to at least 4G connectivity. George argued that it is no longer acceptable to provide rural communities with only 2G and 3G services while the world progresses towards more advanced technologies like 5G and 6G.

During a tour of Rural Telephony projects in the Eastern Region, the Minister examined the progress of expanding and enhancing telecommunications services in underserved areas. George emphasized that improving these sites would boost mobile service quality, enhance customer experience, and alleviate network congestion. He stressed that telecommunications infrastructure should be treated with the same importance as other crucial national infrastructure such as roads and hospitals.

"In today's day and age, we claim to be connecting communities, yet we offer them 2G and 3G. The world has moved from 5G to 6G. Therefore, at the very least, we must provide them with 4G," George stated. He called for a deliberate decision from the government to modernize existing rural telephony infrastructure, ensuring that citizens in rural areas are not left behind in the country's digital transformation.

"My view on rural telephony is that at least we must give them 4G. As a country, we need to invest in telecom and decide to convert all rural telephony sites to a minimum of 4G, preparing us for 5G as well," George added. The initiative is part of broader efforts to narrow Ghana's digital divide and provide reliable, faster telecommunications services to communities throughout the nation.