The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has sought to dispel public concerns over the safety of telecommunications cell sites, assuring residents that the infrastructure is safe.
The Minister gave the assurance during a tour of Rural Telephony Project sites and Community Information Centres (CICs) in the Eastern Region, as part of efforts to assess network coverage and gather feedback from communities on challenges affecting digital connectivity.
Addressing residents and the media, Sam George said perceptions that cell sites pose health risks should not prevent communities from supporting the expansion of telecommunications infrastructure.
He pointed to the deployment of similar network solutions within government facilities as evidence of the confidence placed in the safety of the technology.
“We ask you to join us in making the public know that these cell sites are not harmful. In the Ministry of Communication, in the NCA building, we have in-building solutions. What you see on the sites, on the towers, we have them inside our buildings to make sure that the network is good.”
The Minister added that if the infrastructure posed a danger to people, government would not deploy it within its own buildings to improve network connectivity.
The assurance comes as government accelerates the expansion of telecommunications infrastructure to extend reliable mobile and digital services to underserved communities.
During the tour, Sam George visited Rural Telephony Project sites at Dumpong, Obosono and Nsakye, as well as a cell site under construction in Koforidua under the 800-site expansion programme being implemented in partnership with MTN.
The engagements also allowed the Ministry to hear directly from residents about network gaps and other connectivity challenges that continue to affect communities in the region.
At the Koforidua Regional Information Centre, the Minister also observed training under the One Million Coders Programme, which is using CICs as technology hubs to equip young people with coding and digital skills.
The Ministry said feedback gathered during the tour would guide further collaboration with network operators to improve connectivity while advancing its broader digital inclusion agenda.
