Accra, Sept. 5, GNA - Dr Benjamin Aggrey Ntim, Deputy Minister of Communications on Tuesday asked Internet Service Providers to venture into the rural areas to explore opportunities and also help bridge the digital divide between the rural and urban communities, especially in the use of Information and Communication Technology.

He said, while it was good to be in the regional capitals, management of the Internet Providers must work to improve nationwide coverage in order to extend the roaming facility to people in the rural and under served areas of the country.

Dr Ntim said the ICT had become an enabling tool for enterprises, individuals, firms, companies and communities in addressing social, economic and political challenges.

"Ghana cannot afford to miss participation in this revolution, if it hopes to improve the quality of its citizens' lives and alleviate the widespread poverty that seriously undermines human development." It is in this direction that government is working to establish a backbone company to carry long haul electronic signals to very district in the country to facilitate wireless internet roaming services locally. Dr Ntim was speaking at the official launch of AfricaOnline's InfiNet Wirelss Broadband in Accra.

The Infinet technology will allow customers to circumvent technology bottlenecks, such as reliance on telephone lines and to be able to access internet without having to own fixed telephone lines. Currently AfricaOnline subscribers in Accra enjoy the uninterrupted broadband service. The service will soon be extended to Tema and Kumasi. Dr Ntim said the liberalisation of the telecom sector ten years ago was done with the intention to enable the sector to drive the rapid development and economic transformation of the country.

He pledged continuous government assistance in both administrative and technical support to any company or individuals, who will help make the government's dream of making Ghana an ICT hub in the sub-region a reality.

He urged the service providers to take advantage to play a leading role in achieving higher e-government readiness.

Ms Leslie Davies, Chief Executive Officer AfricaOnlie Holdings, lauded the rapid improvement in the telecom sector in Ghana and urged the authorities not to relent in their efforts.

Mr Ato Sarpong, General Manager, AfricaOnline Ghana, said the company was working seriously to reach all the regional capitals by the close of the year.