Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia on Friday commissioned the Free Wi-fi service for 13 public tertiary education institutions in the country, to enhance teaching, learning and research.
The project, executed at a cost of over US$ 11 million, was facilitated and implemented by the Electricity of Ghana (ECG) leveraging on 650 kilometres of its Fibre Optic Network, in collaboration with the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) and Northern Electricity Distribution Company Limited (NEDCo).
The Free Wi-fi pilot project will connect internet to the ECG’s district and sub-stations along the Optic Fibre Network.
The beneficiary tertiary institutions include;, the University of Ghana, University of Professional Studies, University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ).
Others are the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, University of Education, Winneba, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa, Regional Maritime University, Ghana Institute of Languages, National Film and Television Institute and Ghana Technology University College.
Also, frantic arrangements was underway to connect the campuses of the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, and University of Development Studies, Tamale, in the northern sector of the country, and the Public Technical Universities and Nursing Colleges to Free Wi-Fi service.
Commissioning the Free Wi-Fi project at the new North Dzorwulu Campus of GIJ in Accra, Vice President Bawumia lauded the Management and staff of ECG and partner institutions for making the Government’s vision of connecting free internet service to the public universities a reality.
He said piloting the project at the 13 public tertiary institutions would help the implementing agencies and government, to identify any unforeseen challenges, ahead of rolling out Free Wi-Fi service in 722 public Senior High Schools (SHSs) and 46 Colleges of Education across the country.
Dr Bawumia announced that 80 per cent of work on connecting the SHSs to the free internet service was completed.
He was of the belief that, the project was a game-changer in the academic community, which would enable students and lecturers alike, to teach and learn at a conducive environment in developing the country’s human resource base.
