Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (left) receiving the project document from Mr Jan Plenge.Photo.Ebo Gorman
The extension of the Eastern Corridor Fibre Optic Backbone project, by 165mkilometres, has been completed to boost the country’s Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure.
Stretching from Accra to Ho in the Volta Region, the extension started in 2016, links up with the main project which spans from Ho to Bawku in the Upper East Region.
The entire project funded with a €38 million grant from the government of Denmark with leading ICT innovator, Nokia as contractors, is meant to open up about 120 communities along the stretch to communication.
It is also to promote ICT applications to support education, health delivery, e-government business development, agriculture development and national security, among others.
A technical handing-over of the project was held in Accra on Friday during which the Minister of Communication, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful and Jan Plenge , Export Director of Nokia signed provisional acceptance documents.
It was witnessed by the Danish Ambassador to Ghana, Ms. Tove Degnbol , officials from the Danish International Development Agency(DANIDA), Nokia and project partner , Kennedy Agyapong of Kenpong Group of Companies.
The project would be officially handed over after one year of monitoring and maintenance.
Mrs Owusu-Ekuful noted that the project would enhance the country’s socio-economic development as it would facilitate the various aspects of e-governance system and efforts to digitise the economy.
She said the expansion was to link the whole project to centralised systems in Accra to derive optimum benefits.
She said the government would seek private–public partnership to work on the remaining western and offshore fibre-optics to complete the entire ICT infrastructure by the end of the government’s first tenure of office.
She said the government was committed to building a robust digital system and driving cash-less society for socio-economic development and thanked the Danish government for the continual support.
Ms. Degnbol said the fibre system was the backbone of ICT system adding that the two countries would continue to further the developmental and commercial relations for mutual benefit.
By Jonathan Donkor
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