Rural Ghana deserves better connectivity
The call by the Minister of Communication, Digital Technologies and Innovation, Mr Samuel Nartey George, for rural telephony to be upgraded from 2G and 3G to at least 4G deserves serious attention.
It is difficult to speak of digital inclusion when some communities still struggle with basic connectivity, while others are being served by networks that belong to an earlier generation of technology.
As the Minister rightly observed, “The world has moved from 5G, getting to 6G. So, at the very least, we must give 4G to our network.”
That should not be dismissed as an ambitious demand. It should be treated as a minimum requirement if Ghana is serious about building a digital economy in which location does not determine access to opportunities.
The figures are encouraging, but they also reveal the scale of the work ahead.
Out of the 2,016 cell sites under the Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project, 1,700 have been constructed, while about 300 remain under construction.
The government has also committed GH¢30 million this year to improve rural telephony, with US$400,000 earmarked for immediate remedial works at about 20 sites.
These investments must translate into reliable service.
There is little value in erecting a cell site in a community if residents continue to struggle with slow or unreliable connections.
Rural communities need connectivity that allows young people to access online education, farmers to obtain market information, businesses to reach customers and health facilities to benefit from digital services.
The expansion of the network by the private operators is equally important. MTN is undertaking 800 sites this year, while Telecel is expected to undertake about 350.
The Minister said nearly 180 of MTN’s sites had been completed and expressed the hope that 400 would be completed by the end of the year, with all 800 ready by the end of the first quarter of next year.
This is a significant expansion and must be matched with effective monitoring to ensure that promised infrastructure actually delivers the quality of service expected.
But there is another troubling aspect of the story: resistance from communities to the installation of telecommunication masts.
We understand that communities may have genuine concerns, particularly about health, safety, land use and the location of masts.
Such concerns should never be brushed aside. They should be properly addressed with facts and transparent regulatory processes.
At the same time, communities must recognise that blocking essential infrastructure without a valid basis can deny their own residents the connectivity they desperately need.
The Minister sought to allay health concerns, saying, “Cell sites do not produce radioactive waste, they produce radiation which is healthy.”
He also pointed to the regulatory oversight of the National Communications Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The responsibility now lies with these regulators to ensure that standards are not merely written on paper but are rigorously enforced.
Communities deserve clear information, operators must comply with the rules, and regulators must be prepared to act when those rules are breached.
Government, for its part, must not allow rural telephony to become another infrastructure programme measured mainly by the number of sites constructed.
What matters ultimately is whether people can make calls, access the internet and participate meaningfully in the digital economy.
The Ministry, GIFEC, the NCA, telecom operators and local authorities must therefore work together to accelerate the rollout, prioritise underserved communities and, crucially, ensure that new and existing sites provide at least dependable 4G connectivity.
Community leaders must also help educate residents rather than encourage resistance based on misinformation.
Ghana cannot claim to be preparing for a 5G and eventually 6G future while leaving sections of the country struggling with 2G and 3G.
The time has come to move beyond counting cell sites and start measuring what truly matters: the quality, reliability and reach of connectivity.
Rural Ghana deserves nothing less.
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