The continuous damage of the underground fibre cables has been identified as one of the major challenges hampering the smooth operation of Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) Ghana, the Northern Sector Network Manager for MTN, Mr Joseph Kwadwo Addai, has disclosed.

The Northern Sector Network Manager for MTN, who made the disclosure at the Editors’ Forum, organised by MTN in Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional capital, on Monday, said the company spends about GH₵6,634.88 to repair every single fibre damaged.

Mr Addai stated that the MTN Ghana, Northern Sector Network has so far experienced 822 fibre cable damages this year, and blamed the situation largely on contractors working on roads and other private estate developers, who tamper with the cables without prior knowledge of the company.

He said MTN currently operate about 95 per cent of its backbone traffic to transport backhauling services from cell sites to major switching centres onto underground fibre optic cables.

Mr Addai said this enables the communication giant to meet the increasing traffic demands for digital network services and ensure wider connectivity.

He stated that as a means of addressing the challenge, the company had engaged the Ministry of Roads and Highways, and private contractors to ensure that fibre cables are always identified and relocated.

Mr Addai added that plans were advanced to relocate fibre cables, which were at the risk of being destroyed by heavy rain.

“Strategically, we are in talks with the Ghana Highways Authority, the Departments of Urban Roads, political heads, chiefs among others for them to be aware of our fibre cables underground in their various districts and communities. So in the event where they see activities that can cause damage to our fibre cables, they draw our attention,” he indicated.

Mr Addai appealed to customers to be patient as MTN worked hard to resolve all the challenges confronting the network.

He also asked private developers and road contractors to always inform the MTN about commencement of construction to avert damage to the company’s underground cables.

Source:ghanaiantimes.com.gh

Operator Mauritius Telecom and HKT division PCCW Global launched what they claimed is the African island’s first national mobile payment service, a move the partners believe will help close the digital divide in the country.

The service, called My.t Money, is based on HKT’s Tap & Go mobile payment service the company operates in its home market of Hong Kong.

In addition to retail mobile payments, the system is designed to be integrated with a number of civic services including those related to education, transportation and social welfare.

Mauritius Telecom CEO Sherry Singh said the company aimed to “positively disrupt the payments industry,” adding 200,000 customers had already signed-up ahead of launch with 1,000 merchants on the island set-up to use the service.

Payment services will be available through both smartphone applications and a platform designed for use on more basic handsets, a feature PCCW Global said would address the unbanked population.

Source: mobileworldlive.com

MTN Cameroon has denied accusations on social media it plans to close down its mobile money service, less than two weeks after the group’s Ghana business was forced to defend against a similar social media campaign.

In a statement, MTN Cameroon called the rumours of an imminent shut-down “baseless,” noting the service was expanding across all 10 regions of the country and there were no plans to close in the short, medium or long term.

Similar to the defence made recently against social media stories in Ghana, it said funds were held and transactions settled within the country rather than at a group level. This, it highlighted, meant it could not be impacted by “happenings in a third-party country”.

The operator added it intended to continue to grow of the service in Cameroon by increasing its range of products.

Rumours were widely shared earlier this week on popular social media websites and spread through messaging services in the country.

According to comments made to MTN Cameroon on its customer care Facebook page, some users had already began withdrawing funds due to the scare. One claimed the messages began to be distributed in the first week of September.

Source: mobileworldlive

Mrs Patricia Obo-Nai, the Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana, has advocated for collaboration of stakeholders in the business environment to support women entrepreneurs to grow.

Chairing the Launch of the Association of Ghana Industries’ ‘’Women in Business Group’’ in Accra, Mrs Obo-Nai said despite the recognition of the impact of women globally, issues of inequality still existed in many businesses in Africa, with Ghana not an exception.

“Addressing gaps in gender diversity in business is essential in the fight against poverty and under-development,” a statement issued to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday quoted her as saying.

The AGI Women in Business Group is a platform set up by the Association of Ghana Industries to empower and equip women with the right skills, policies and network to contribute effectively towards Ghana’s socio-economic development.

Mrs Obo-Nai said the thought in some quarters that diversity and gender equity issues must be saved for the back burner was unfortunate.

She explained that men and women together were a force to reckon with, particularly when they collaborated for a common good.

Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the first lady and Guest of Honour at the event, noted that a lot more needed to be done to provide access to finance for women in business.

She charged them to be more proactive and strategic in navigating the digital age.

Over the years Vodafone had continually displayed leadership in diversity and inclusion.

The statement said the company recently launched an initiative with the United Nations Development Programme, dubbed: “Bringing the Informal to the Formal,” to equip 1,500 women in small enterprises in the Upper East Region with financial and business skills to improve upon their lot.

The project is expected to indirectly benefit close to 10,000 people in the Region.

Source: GNA