Alfred Vanderpuye
Airtel Ghana, in partnership with Ericsson, is supporting the Accra Millennium City schools project of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) by providing broadband internet connectivity at subsidized rates.
One of the 50 selected schools, a new three-storey complex building, was commissioned recently at the Salvation Army Cluster of Schools at Mamprobi in Accra by President John Atta Mills.
As a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, Airtel Ghana and Ericsson collaborated in 2009 to build five cell sites and provide voice and data services for the Millennium Villages Project (MVP) in the Bonsaaso cluster of villages located in the Amansie West district.
Free phone, routers, SIM cards and airtime were also provided to health workers, teachers, schools and staff of the MVP office in the cluster. This project has greatly improved the lives of over 30,000 people living in the cluster. Health workers, farmers, pupils and the communities have seen a leap and drastic transformation in their lives and the entire cell sites have been heavily utilized.
The Head of Corporate Communications and External Affairs at Airtel Ghana, Donald Gwira explained that for the AMA Schools projects, Airtel Ghana would provide 50 data SIM cards and five GB internet connectivity at a 50 percent subsidized rate.
He added that Airtel Ghana will also provide the 50 schools with free internet connectivity in the first month of implementation and also support the schools with repair and replacement of equipment provided by the initiative including Broadband Fixed Wireless Terminal equipment.
Mr. Gwira also noted that as part of the monitoring and evaluation of the project, Airtel Ghana will provide data to Ericsson for analysis on the usage of the Broadband Internet Service by the Schools while supporting the establishment of “School to School Connection Programs” at all the schools.
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