The Director General of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Joe Anokye, has said that plans are far underway for Ghana to hook on to the 5G wireless data communication for mobile carriers.
“We have made sure that the spectrum required for five 5G is available, there are few policies that must be made as to exactly how spectrum will be made available.”
It is very complicated, because of the way the market is, we don’t want to proceed and only one entity will have the capability of acquiring the 5G”, he told participants at the 12th R.P Baffour memorial lectures organized by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi.
His topic was “KNUST, a history of remarkable growth in science and technology education, resilience and adaptability in the digital space.”
Mr Anokye in an answer to a question as to when Ghana would be connected to the 5G services however, stated that, it was important for the NCA to beef up local internet services for majority of the people to access the 5G services.
“We have to make sure Wi-Fi services at various places where people meet are provided, there is a fibre optic connection to central point to make your 5G come”, he stated.
He currently said all internet traffic in Ghana pass through the submarine cable landing, with 5.9 terabytes in total, but were very complicated.
“Every now and then a submarine cable will go down and when it does, it takes time. You have to send a ship in. So, one of the things NCA is doing is to license additional submarine providers to help address these anomalies,” he said.
Touching on the KNUST technology infrastructure and communication evolution as well as the University in the liberalization era, he commended the institution for its resolve in advancing and catching up in technology advancement.
He pointed out that back in the early 1990’s before the era of liberalization, the KNUST faced numerous challenges in communication, and academically, struggle with outdated teaching materials, among others.
“The journey of KNUST over the past seven decades stands a testament to what vision, dedication, resilience, and corroborative spirit can achieve.
From its foundational years to alumni and success stories, the University had remained a beacon of knowledge in Ghana’s educational landscape,” he stated.
Mr Anokye said the age dominated by disruptive technologies, the role of educational institutions, particularly those with the legacy was increasingly critical.
According to him, Technology was reshaping the way people thought, worked, and created, adding that, while these changes had brought opportunities, they also presented formidable challenges.