Why Busy’s 4G data service is crucial
Ghana has made significant strides in telecommunication on a journey that started about two decades ago; scaling hurdles as analogue cellular to digital phones, transitioning from the use of analogue fixed lines for internet connectivity to the use of satellites, from fax machines to scanners, and from limited access (coverage) to internet services found in few offices and affluent homes to widespread access on the go.
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Refreshed Busy
Busy Internet has not only seen each changing face of the Ghanaian information and communications technology (ICT) story; it has been part and parcel of shaping the revolution.
Started as a cyber café in 2001, Busy Internet (just rebranded Busy) beat competition to establish the most dynamic and relevant ICT solutions business and has now crossed another major milestone with the introduction of its data services, a fourth generation (4G) ultra-fast data service.
Three companies have already launched 4G services but typical of Busy, its inaugural service has also extended the lead with the widest inaugural coverage and affordable packages, currently on promotional basis.
“Ghana has made strides in ICT. We recognise the changing landscape, so we needed to enhance our operations to meet the needs of our clients,” the Managing Director of Busy, Mr Praveen Sadalage, said at the launch of the 4G data service and a ceremony to launch the rebranded Busy in Accra.
4G coverage
Busy’s 4G services will cover the entire Accra and Tema areas, stretching from Kasoa to Prampram and to Ayi Mensah, just at the foot of the Aburi Mountain.
Mr Sadalage said their latest service provided convenience and faster internet to customers, the best gift it could offer its customers which had supported it thus far.
“We have made sure that our innovative 4G service is fast, affordable, reliable and flexible; because that is what consumers told us was most important to them,” the MD of Busy said.
While the company would not close down its copy centre and internet café on the Ring Road Central in Accra, it has added more services such as a data centre, making it a total ICT company.
With five companies already licensed to provide 4G data services in the country, some analysts fear whether the country is not hastily walking the path of licensing more than necessary operators to saturate the industry as has been the case in mobile phone operators and even in banking and financial services.
Communications Minister
The Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane-Boamah, explained that the demand for data in the country was increasing by the day.
He said while government business itself was going to rely on large volumes of data, demand from businesses and retail consumers was also on the increase.
“The government is coming up with the Human Resource Management Module for managing public sector workers. The electronic pay-slips that have been introduced also depends on data and all the e-government services will rely on data. The increase in the number of 4G providers means the economy is on track and the economy is expanding,” the Communications Minister stated and added: “the more we increase data penetration the more we are growing our economy.”
The minister’s linkage of broadband services and economic growth is an extrapolation from a World Bank study which postulates that any 10 per cent penetration or growth in ICT would translate into a one per cent growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The communications minister said the demand for broadband services in the country was high, cutting across academic and research institutions to government operations, the private sector and individuals.
Dr Omane-Boamah was happy that investments in providing and expanding broadband access were being done by both the government and the private sector. For its side, the government has invested in two fibre optic backbone projects. While the first is being managed by Vodafone, the second is in the hands of the government.
The latter is an 800-kilometre underground eastern corridor optical backbone network which connects Ho to the northern part of the country and connects 126 towns and villages and this has the potential of changing the economic fortunes of those communities.
“We welcome the quality of competition that you will be providing in the interest of consumers. We are excited to see more investments in the ICT and telecom services,” he said.
Business process outsourcing
The government has a policy to attract business process outsourcing services to the country in order to create jobs.
Towards that end, it has received World Bank and Rockefeller Foundation support to renovate 12 abandoned warehouses on the Ring Road West in Accra, which are capable of engaging 10,000 staff on three streams.
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Dr Omane-Boamah said the government was currently reviewing two applications from potential operators. It had submitted the tenancy agreements to the Office of the Attorney General for input, after which the government would begin a drive to populate the facility.
The first phase of the Tema ICT Park has been completed. It is currently housing E-Services, which has already employed 150 people, evidence of how ICT could help create jobs.
Promotion
Busy has taken into account the streaming demand and decided to offer exciting discounts on its products to facilitate access by willing individuals and corporate bodies.
The Busy 4G MiFi is priced from GH¢99. The 4G data bundles range from just 100MB for casual users to 50GB for 4G lovers, with the ability to rollover unused data from one bundle to the next.
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The company also offers a choice of unlimited freebies to customers who purchase more than 5GB of data each month. With that, the customers can choose between unlimited and free usage of Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Ghanaweb or Myjoyonline, and unlimited and free usage either at night or at the weekend. — GB