The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) has signed an agreement with CSQUARED, to lease its excess fibre capacity to mobile network operators and Internet Service Providers in Ghana.
CSQUARED is a technology company, making commercially driven investments into broadband-enabling infrastructure throughout Africa.
GRIDCo’s operations involve the use of an Optical Ground Wire System (OPGW), which serves to protect the nation’s transmission system against lightning strikes –as this same OPGW can also be utilised as fibre for communication purposes.
Chief Executive Officer of GRIDCO, Jonathan Amoako-Baah said, the partnership will go a long way to benefit the country, especially with government’s digitisation agenda.
“Our efforts in this area ties in perfectly with the government’s digitisation agenda. In an age where technology is dictating the pace of everything we do, no one should be left behind in harnessing its power and we are committed to helping enforce that” he said.
He said that GRIDCo continues to remain the leading power transmission company in West Africa and will continue to provide electricity transmission in Ghana.
Terms of the parnership
This partnership is to enable the deployment of broadband infrastructure to deliver high-speed data services to businesses and homes especially in the more remote areas of Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and other underserved areas in the country.
The partnership provides an attractive alternative revenue source for GRIDCo and gives CSquared new opportunities to drive digital transformation in the sub-region.
In the partnership, CSquared will deliver customer and technical support, network security and last mile connectivity, ensuring a better, safer, faster customer experience.
he Chief Executive Officer of CSquared Group, Lanre Kolade, highlighting the direct benefits of the partnership to Ghana was hopeful communication connectivity will improved.
“Every day, broadband is connecting the unconnected. From education to health care to economic opportunities, more people in Ghana continue to benefit from living in a fully digitized world. This partnership goes a long way towards achieving CSquared’s goal of democratizing connectivity and achieving Internet For All” he noted.
The West Africa Regional Manager for CSquared Estelle Akofio-Sowah, added that Ghana’s internet penetration is at 50%.
She said CSquared will remain neutral and will not get into competition with any ISPs or telecommunications.
