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We must protect communication centres - IT Expert
Accra, Jan. 23, GNA - An Information Technology and Telecom
Research Expert on Tuesday urged the Government to come up
with policy regulations that would protect communication
centres against the onslaught of wireless telecommunication
services, popularly called "space-to-space", spreading
across the country.
Dr Amos Anyimado, Director of the Africa Next Knowledge
Brokerage and Interaction (ANKBI), the technology assessment
wing of Ghana Telecom University College, said unlike the
wireless service, communication centres also served as
development centres in the rural communities.
He made the call at a video conference, where a German
Researcher and a Ph D student from Bonn University in
Germany, Mr Marcus Koll, presented preliminary results of a
study he carried out in the Akatsi District in the Volta
Region.
In his study, Mr Koll found that communication centres were
completely out of business in the District and in their
place there were several "space-to-space" services, which
offered only telephones calls usually from mobile phone
handsets.
He found that all the communication centres in the District
had been turned into either stores that sold textiles or
drinking bars.
Dr Anyimado noted that the phenomenon of "space-to-space"
denied rural communities several other services
communication centres offered.
He said communication centres, for instance, offered
secretarial services, provided telephone directories for
people to easily access phone numbers, had televisions for
people waiting to make calls but the "space-to-space"
service did not offer such services.
"Most of the 'space-to-space' operators move around with
their tables and bicycles," he said.
Dr Anyimado said he was also concerned about the
introduction of wireless technology with its attendant
General Packet Radio System (GPRS) to the seeming neglect of
the V-SAT technology in which most of the district
assemblies had invested huge funds.
He said the V-SAT technology, on which the fixed line system
ran cost not less than 15,000 dollars to install and at
least 1,000 dollars monthly in operation cost.
"That is why the Government must intervene and protect the
interest of the communication centres to ensure maximum
benefit from the V-SAT technology."
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a platform designed
to offer access to data networks. GPRS is a new wireless
communication system that allows a Highway Telematics System
to deliver real-time traffic data without the inconvenience
of a permanent infrastructure of ducts and cables.
Data are routed using secured channels from the field
stations to your private network via the mobile network
supplier.
Dr Anyimado said the University was working hand-in-hand
with Ghana Telecom and Kasapa Telecom to host the Jubilee
Mobile Ghana Conference next month.
He expressed the hope that all the other players in the
industry, Areeba (MTN), Tigo and Westel would come on board
to give the conference a holistic industrial character.
"We also expect the World Bank Country Office to make some
funding available to make the conference a success," he
said.
GNA
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