By Isatou Jawara
The Minister of Information Communication and Infrastructure Demba Jawo has revealed that the Gambia will soon be a model in good internet service in the West African sub region with the fastest broadband internet services.
The Minister mentioned this at the validation forum of the ACE and ECOWAN cost model document, which was held at Ocean Bay Hotel yesterday.
Minister Jawo also used the occasion to call on GSM companies to give fair pricing to their customers to boost telecommunication industry in the Gambia.
According to the Minister, ICT is advancing rapidly and the Gambia government is initiating policies and programs to diversify ICT in the modern technology era, and to achieve this they must radically regulate the regulators.
“This forum will address the challenges and the crucial role the ICT sector has to contribute in the economy, and to discuss the framework that will provide a market season in the communication industry. The Government of the Gambia established a public private partnership in the form of a special purpose vehicle registered as the Gambia Submarine Cable Company (GSC).The shareholders of the said company comprise of Africell, Comuim, Netpage and Unique Solutions from the private sector and Gamcel and Gamtel from the public sector,” he said.
The Director General of PURA Mr Ansumana Sanneh said ECOWAN and ACE Gambia projects as proposed should be implemented and operated under an open access regime to ensure that existing and future network operators in The Gambia and through them their customers, enjoy non discriminatory access at reasonable cost based pricing to both the international capacity and the national backbone.
The director of PURA added that PURA through the Institutional Support Project through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs has sought the service of an internationally reputable consultant with proven track record to review and provide guidelines for an open access interconnection on both the ECOWAN and the international fibre landing station.
