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Ghanaian Company Launches Country’s First 4G Data Network

Ghanaian Company Launches Country’s First 4G Data Network

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAorvDvLxJ0

Ghanaian company Surfline Communications launched the country’s first 4G data network Tuesday in partnership with French technology company Alcatel-Lucent, making Ghana the sixth country in sub-Saharan Africa to get the high speed service, Reuters reports.

Less than 20 percent of the Ghanaian population uses the Internet but rapid Internet and mobile phone use across Africa is making it an increasingly attractive proposition for companies looking to sell data services, according to Reuters.

Surfline invested more than $100 million for the first phase of the long-term evolution (LTE) network, which has 300 cell sites, according to Chairman John Taylor.

Taylor owns a string of oil-related businesses in addition to Surfline.

The pre-paid data-only service is available in the capital, Accra, and the nearby port city of Tema, but Taylor said Surfline’s goal is to go nationwide within two years.

“We want to fill the void by providing high speed connectivity to facilitate e-education, e-commerce and facilitate long distance activities especially by people living outside the cities,” Taylor said.

The dominant mobile phone company in the West African country is South Africa’s MTN.