Stranded Connectivity Equipments Relocated with Bets on Local-Language AI

Telecommunications equipment installed in unsuitable locations under previous connectivity projects is being relocated to communities where it can be put to better use, Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Minister Samuel Nartey George has said. George said an assessment had found multiple cases where connectivity equipment was deployed to communities without the technical infrastructure needed to make the sites operational, leaving some equipment unused. The government is now reviewing the installations and moving usable equipment to locations where it can support connectivity, he said during a question-and-answer session following the government's accountability presentation. 'In some communities, equipment was sent as a way of politicking, to say to them that we are going to connect you,' George said. He said selecting a telecommunications site requires technical planning, including establishing a line of sight or providing satellite or microwave backhaul connections. 'Even if you erect that mast today, there's no way connectivity can be extended to that centre,' George said of some of the affected locations. The ministry has analysed the installations and begun reallocating the equipment rather than abandoning it, he said. AirtelTigo Revival Plan George also outlined steps to revive the fortunes of AirtelTigo, saying the government has moved to provide the company with spectrum and access to parts of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications' core network infrastructure. The minister said a new board was sworn in last week to serve both AirtelTigo and PPL Net Ghana, a subsidiary of the telecommunications company. According to George, the company had lacked spectrum after its licences expired, prompting the ministry to direct the National Communications Authority to make spectrum and a provisional licence available while outstanding administrative processes were completed. He said the government expected the company's performance to improve following the appointment of the board and additional infrastructure support. Ghana Targets African Leadership in Local-Language AI The minister also said Ghana is working with universities and Google to build national language models capable of supporting artificial intelligence applications in local languages. The project currently covers seven Ghanaian languages, including Dagbani, and involves the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the University of Ghana and the University of Cape Coast, George said. The initiative is intended to address concerns that AI systems developed primarily around global languages could exclude communities that rely on indigenous languages. A prototype known as 'Aku' demonstrated the technology during Ghana's AI strategy launch, though George said the system remains under development. The government ultimately hopes to use the technology in sectors including agriculture, where voice-enabled AI tools could provide farmers with information and advisory services in their local languages. 'If it's in Dagbani, then we can deploy that tool as a voice-enabled AI assistant for farmers in that enclave,' George said. Ghana is also expanding the research beyond its borders to include languages such as Hausa, Swahili and Creole, as it seeks to position itself as an African hub for national language models, according to the minister. Universities to Lead AI Development George said the government has deliberately placed universities at the centre of its AI strategy rather than relying on private companies to develop core national systems. Much of the work is being financed through research and donor support, including collaboration with Google, while universities work with traditional authorities to develop language datasets and models. President John Mahama has announced plans for $20 million in government support for building local AI capacity, George said, alongside a broader $250 million allocation for computing infrastructure. The minister said the government was awaiting the operationalisation of the funding. The ministry's approach has also directed international support toward academic institutions rather than the ministry itself. According to the minister, the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office supported the development of Ghana's national AI strategy, with £500,000 directed to academic institutions. A further £6 million in UK support for the strategy was announced during Mahama's investment visit to Britain, he said. The strategy was led by academics, including Professor Jerry John Kponyo of the Responsible AI Lab, George said. The approach reflects the government's position that universities should lead the development of Ghana's AI policy and research capacity, even as private companies have submitted competing proposals. Connectivity and AI Converge The announcements underscore two connected challenges facing Ghana's digital agenda: extending reliable infrastructure to underserved communities while ensuring emerging technologies are designed for the country's population. For George, unused telecommunications equipment represents a problem of poor planning rather than unusable assets. The government's response, he said, is to redeploy the infrastructure where technical conditions can support it. At the same time, the local-language AI programme seeks to ensure that digital services can reach citizens regardless of the language they speak. The success of both initiatives will depend on execution, including the government's ability to complete the reallocation of connectivity equipment and operationalise promised funding for AI infrastructure and local capacity development. Like this: Like Loading…