(Ecofin Agency) - Ghana signed, yesterday September 29, an agreement with China’s Exim Bank for the construction of 2,000 new telecom sites in rural areas. The construction contract is awarded to Huawei Technologies. Delivery is scheduled for September 2021.

While mobile communication has bloomed in Ghana in recent years, rural areas are still lagging. And the government sees in this new program an opportunity to accelerate digital inclusion, especially in the underserved regions. The national telecom coverage is expected to reach 95%, from 83%.

The completion of the new sites will provide voice and data services to more than 3.4 million people living in the targeted areas; 400 sites are currently serving 2,000 villages, benefiting 1.2 million people in the country. The new facilities will be leased to national operators who will be responsible for expanding the telecom market.

“Partnering with Huawei on this project, therefore, will ensure that all persons in Ghana are included in the Government’s digitization agenda, and improve the socio-economic wellbeing of people living in rural Ghana. These beneficiaries will be able to communicate effectively with family, friends, and transact business with people all over the world,” said Abraham Kofi Asante, Administrator of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC).