The government will conduct an audit of 2,016 community network sites inherited under an existing contract to determine their completion status and establish how many are currently operational.

Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, announced the planned exercise during a visit to the Sekyere Afram Plains District in the Ashanti Region, where he commissioned four community network sites.

He said the audit would provide a clear picture of the work completed by the contractor, identify outstanding tasks and help the government determine the condition of the facilities.

Mr George explained that it would be impractical for him to visit all 2,016 sites personally, making an independent assessment necessary.

“Next week, we are going to have a meeting with the contractor to evaluate the work that is done. We inherited the contract; 2,016 sites, we want to do a status update. I am unable to visit all the sites myself, so we are commissioning an audit to ascertain the status of the sites,” he said.

The Minister also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to extending internet access to underserved communities, stressing the need to ensure that residents are not excluded from digital services because of where they live.

The four facilities commissioned during the visit serve Nyameama No. 1, Nyameama No. 2, Dawia and Abenua.

According to Mr George, some of the beneficiary communities do not have electricity, but the government is using solar-powered infrastructure to provide internet connectivity.

He, however, called for the facilities to be upgraded from 3G to 4G technology to improve network performance and give residents a better digital experience.