Omanghana
The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, has called on the National Communications Authority and mobile network operators to make reliable 4G connectivity the minimum standard for broadband services across Ghana.
His proposal comes amid growing complaints about inconsistent internet speeds, poor connectivity in rural communities and disparities in service quality between major cities and less-developed parts of the country.
George argued that the continued dependence on 2G and 3G networks in several communities was unsuitable for a country seeking to develop a modern digital economy.
He urged the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, together with the NCA, to require every licensed telecommunications company to provide at least dependable 4G LTE coverage in the communities it serves.
The lawmaker highlighted the significant difference in mobile broadband quality between cities such as Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi and many rural and hard-to-reach areas.
According to him, efforts to promote digital banking, online education, electronic commerce and broader economic inclusion will remain ineffective if people in rural communities continue to depend on unstable 2G and 3G networks.
George also called for the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications to focus its resources on constructing modern and sustainable 4G infrastructure in underserved and unserved communities.
He maintained that public funds allocated to improving telecommunications access should not be used to expand outdated technologies that may require replacement within a short period.
Beyond network coverage, George emphasized the need to make 4G-enabled smartphones more affordable. He urged the government to review taxes and import tariffs on entry-level devices to improve access for students and low-income households.
He further asked the NCA to strengthen its enforcement of quality-of-service requirements for telecommunications companies.
The regulator, he said, must closely monitor indicators such as internet speeds, latency and dropped calls while imposing appropriate sanctions on operators that advertise broadband packages without meeting the required performance standards.
Ghana is preparing for the commercial deployment of a shared 5G network through Next-Gen InfraCo. However, George cautioned that the benefits of the new technology would remain limited unless the country first establishes reliable and widely accessible 4G coverage.
He argued that a strong nationwide 4G foundation would help bridge the digital divide, support the transition to 5G and ensure that rural communities are not excluded from Ghana’s digital transformation.
Source: Omanghana
