In the Atwima Mponua District, residents of the Ataso community are raising an urgent alarm due to the poor mobile network coverage and significant infrastructure deficiencies that have forced this community to the periphery of Ghana’s digital economy.
Access to emergency services, daily life, and economic transactions is severely impeded, requiring people to use ridiculous and physically taxing methods of communication alone.
According to Joseph Obeng, regional correspondent for Adom TV Ashanti, the situation in Ataso is dire, making it impossible to make or receive a phone call.
Due to the lack of a dependable signal at ground level, residents must make the arduous journey to far-off farms or climb tall trees and incomplete buildings in pursuit of a brief reception bar.
RelatedPosts
Ghana’s drive for digital inclusion undermined by poor network coverage
The country’s drive for digital inclusion is undermined by the poor connectivity, which significantly restricts financial and commercial activities.
Although the country-wide mobile penetration rate in Ghana is estimated to be over 130 per cent, Ataso and other areas of extreme exclusion continue to exist, impeding both economic growth and access to basic services.
Locals feel ignored by the nationwide telecommunications behemoths, and their frustration is evident.
In an interview with Adom News, one resident bemoaned the challenge of performing simple business.
“The network is our major problem and is affecting us a lot. It’s difficult to transact business in this village; we’re pleading with the government to come to our aid”.
Farmers and business owners in Ataso are forced to rely entirely on cash due to the inability to use Mobile Money (MoMo) services, a lifeline for Ghana’s informal sector, which transacts billions of Ghana Cedis daily. This results in high travel expenses and safety risks related to money transportation.
Ataso residents climb trees to get signal
The residents’ actions highlight the extent of the network failure. Another resident described the unconscionable routine they have to endure: “We climb trees before we’re able to make phone calls, or we climb an uncompleted storey building.”
This risky practice not only puts locals at needless physical risk, but it also seriously hinders communication in times of security or medical emergencies, where a few minutes of delay could mean the difference between life and death.
Appeals to bridge the digital divide
The affected community is making two appeals: one to the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation to step in and to the telecommunications companies (Telcos) to quickly extend their network infrastructure to the Ataso area.
They argue that closing the digital divide is not just a luxury but rather a basic need for contemporary development and security, underscoring the need for universal access for all citizens.
To provide a reliable, fast signal and ultimately link Ataso to the rest of the nation, stakeholders are hoping that the government, acting through the National Communications Authority (NCA), will work with mobile operators to give the installation of a new base transmission station (BTS) top priority.