An estimated 8.7 million Ghanaians used mobile phones as at the first quarter of this year but the number may go beyond 9 million by the end of the year, Kwasi Adu-Gyan, a director at the Ministry of Communications has said. According to him, the mobile telephony industry is growing steadily thus contributing to the economic expansion of the country.

Speaking at the launch of the Mi range of phones in Accra yesterday, Mr. Adu-Gyan mentioned that the presence of Mi-phones will contribute to bridging the digital divide between the rural and urban areas, adding that the National Fibre Communications Backbone Infrastructure network will provide open access broadband connectivity nationwide. “When this resource is fully completed, it would have a greater impact on the telecommunication industry and also provide opportunities for creativity and innovation in providing quality and affordable services to the citizenry”.

The telecommunication industry has seen tremendous growth over the last few years, and the growth is so enormous that most of the intended targets of government have been over-achieved due to the enabling environment that has been put in place and the constant monitoring by the regulatory authority, Mr. Adu-Gyan added. He emphasized that government sees the private sector as a potential engine of growth and recognizes the strides that companies like Mi-Fone are making, targeting the middle-to-low income consumers in emerging markets and offering quality, durable and affordable mobile phones for the ordinary Ghanaian.

“I wish to emphasize that government is committed to providing the right enabling environment to allow the private sector to play its expected role in the country’s economic development”. The introduction of Mi-range of mobile phones has come about as a result of its combined 20 years of telecommunications experience in emerging markets in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The demands of emerging market consumers present fertile ground for the “Mi” range of products, which seamlessly combine affordability with best of breed technology among others, Alpesh Patel, Global Sales Director of “Mi” said. Melcom Limited, Ghana’s largest retail department store chain is the sole distributor of the Mi-phones.

Source: PFM