The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications (GCT) and the GSMA, the organization that represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, are jointly hosting an industry workshop in Accra July 9 on how to speed up the expansion of quality broadband services in Ghana. The half-day private workshop would bring together representatives from government, regulators, network operators and other industry players to discuss spectrum migration, quality of mobile services and taxation policies. “It’ll be an open, stimulating dialogue. We’ll have expert conversations on these three areas to support policy decisions that impact the telecommunications industry in Ghana,” a statement from GCT quoted Kwaku Sakyi-Addo, CEO of the Chamber as saying. “Telecommunications has become a driver of productivity, economic growth, social activity and development,” he said. Ghana is expected to complete a switchover from analogue to digital frequencies in 2014. This will free up spectrum, which would create further investments in mobile broadband infrastructure, improvements in quality of service and wider and cheaper access to services. Director, Middle East and Africa, GSMA, Peter Lyons also urged the Ghanaian government to push hard on the analogue to digital switchover and provide a leading example for other countries in the region to meet the 2015 deadline. “Freeing up vital ‘digital dividend’ spectrum for mobile will have a significant impact on the country – it will result in GHS1.4billion in additional GDP, help create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and generate GHS198million in additional tax revenues for the government by 2020,” the statement said. The GSMA has worked successfully with governments and international organizations across the globe through regional seminars and roundtable discussions that address regulatory issues facing the telecoms industry today. Five mobile network operators in Ghana launched the Chamber of Telecommunications in 2011, as a private initiative, to help shape policy in one of Africa’s fastest and most active telecoms markets. A sixth player, Globacom, launched its services in Ghana in April to join Airtel, Expresso, MTN, Tigo and Vodafone. Operators have invested over US$5.6 billion in the West African country over the last decade and half, created over 1.5 million jobs and are responsible for 10 per cent of all government revenues. Ghana, the world’s second leading cocoa producer after neighbouring IvoryCoast, and a new crude oil producer, has a population of 25 million people. There are over 21 million SIM cards in circulation.