• Government kicks off project to repair rural telecom sites inactive for nearly two years
• Overhaul led by Universal Access Fund and telecom regulator aims to bring back voice and internet in hard-to-reach communities
• Power shortages and infrastructure vandalism remain key challenges to sustainable service delivery

The government of Liberia has launched a national project to restore and maintain mobile network sites in rural parts of the country, where many communities have been left without basic telecom access for nearly two years. The initiative, officially announced on Monday, May 5, is expected to bring back reliable voice and internet services to underserved regions and help reconnect thousands of people.

The program is being led by the Universal Access Fund (UAF), in partnership with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA). It follows a field assessment in March that revealed nine of twelve telecom towers funded by the UAF in remote counties had been inactive for almost two years.

"A team made up of government representatives, telecom technicians, and engineers will carry out the restoration in phases, beginning with Bomi, Gbarpolu, and Grand Cape Mount counties," the LTA said. It added that progress updates would be shared as the project moves forward.

These towers were originally installed in isolated areas where private telecom operators have little commercial incentive to invest. Without functioning infrastructure, residents in those zones are cut off not only from mobile services, but also from key innovations like digital government platforms, online learning, e-health, e-commerce, and digital farming tools.

"Like any business, telecom companies have focused their investments in large cities where they can earn the most profit. That has left many rural communities without service. The LTA has no legal tool to force operators to invest in these areas, especially when the costs of licenses and spectrum use are already high," the UAF explained.

While restarting these services is a first step, the government will also need to ensure regular upkeep of the telecom sites going forward—something that will require sustainable planning and long-term funding, especially in areas that remain off the power grid.

Electricity supply is another major challenge. Liberia has one of the lowest rural electrification rates in Africa. Only 7.6% of rural residents have access to electricity, according to a report by GOGLA, backed by the World Bank.

Another critical issue is vandalism, which threatens telecom infrastructure across many African countries. To keep these sites operational, the government will need to put in place systems to prevent damage and theft at rural towers.