MTN spends $138m to improve services – Chief Corporate Services Sustainability Officer
MTN Ghana has spent a total of $138 million in capital investment since the beginning of the year to improve its services, the Chief Corporate Services Sustainability Officer of MTN Ghana, Adwoa Afriyie Wiafe, has said.
The amount, she explained, were mainly expended in the area of new radio infrastructure to increase the company’s cell sites to serve as a boost for its communication information infrastructure as well improve on its digital services.
Addressing a media forum on the operations of the company in Accra on Wednesday, Ms Wiafe stated that the MTN Ghana has budgeted to invest $1 billion in capital investment in the next five years.
The programme dubbed: ‘MTN Republic Stakeholder Forum’ was to create a forum to interact with the media and give them opportunity to ask questions on operations of the company.
She said MTN Ghana was on track with its capital investment programme, stating that the capital investment was necessary to help reduce the cost of connectivity through the expansion of the network of the company.
Ms Wiafe disclosed that the company had constructed about 5,000 cell sites across the country as part of the investment in radio infrastructure.
According to her, the current challenges customers were experiencing in accessing voice and data services was as a result of the infrastructure upgrade being done by the company across the country, starting from the Greater Accra Region.
She further noted that about 90 per cent of work on the infrastructure upgrade, swaps and migration in the Greater Accra Region had been completed and customers would see an improvement on voice and data services going forward.
Mrs Wiafe indicated that the objective of MTN Ghana was to “lead the delivery of a bold, new digital world to our customers.”
The Chief Corporate Services Sustainability Officer of MTN Ghana mentioned that the intent of her outfit was to drive leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress, saying, “Everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life.”
As part of the MTN Ghana Ambition 2025 strategy, the company had planned to build the largest and most valuable platforms, drive industry leading connectivity operations, and create shared value for the stakeholders of the company.
“Our strategy is anchored in building the largest and most valuable platform business with a clear focus on Africa,” Ms Wiafe stated.
The Chief Corporate Services Sustainability Officer responded in the negative she was asked whether the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) would lead to job cuts and loses.
“AI will help us automate our processes and it will not automatically lead to job losses,” she stated.
Moreover, Ms Wiafe said there were new areas MTN Ghana would train its staff in order to fit in the AI world of work.
The Chief Corporate Services Sustainability Officer also responding to the question whether the MTN Ghana would reduce its data charges with the entering of Starlink in Ghana’s telecommunication market, she replied that, MTN Ghana would reduce it data charges if the regulatory environment allowed that.
Ms Wiafe said MTN Ghana was ready to partner Starlink to deepen internet connectivity and served under the underserved communities.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
