Arlington, VA – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency is strengthening digital connectivity in northern Ghana by supporting the development of secure, open-access fiber optic cable infrastructure. Today, USTDA signed an agreement to fund a feasibility study for Ghanaian telecommunications infrastructure company CSquared Ghana Ltd to accelerate and attract financing for a project to lay fiber optic cables along existing electricity lines, with the aim of reducing costs for increased connectivity using an open-access model that increases transparency, reduces the risk of compromised systems, and creates a competitive marketplace built on trusted technology standards.
“Developing digital infrastructure is not just about internet access, it also means ensuring that trusted technology underpins the networks that governments, hospitals, and schools depend on for secure communications,” said Thomas R. Hardy, USTDA’s Deputy Director. “U.S. industry knows how to innovate and create world-class technologies that are globally trusted and valued. USTDA’s assistance will bring American expertise to create opportunities for those innovators while helping Ghana build the reliable connectivity its citizens need.”
USTDA’s assistance will assess the commercial viability of a fiber network along existing electricity distribution infrastructure owned by the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), which spans over 60 percent of Ghana. The feasibility study will evaluate technical requirements, quantify market demand, and develop a financing strategy to mobilize capital. The open-access model will allow multiple providers to use the same infrastructure. Implementation of the project will generate significant opportunities for U.S. companies to provide telecommunications equipment, network design services, cybersecurity solutions, and smart grid technologies.
USTDA-funded programming is carried out by U.S. companies. The request for proposals for this feasibility study will be posted here: www.ustda.gov/work/bid-on-an-overseas-project.
Northern Ghana faces a significant digital divide, and the new fiber network will enable mobile operators, internet service providers, schools, hospitals, and government institutions to access affordable high-speed connectivity, improving public service delivery and enhancing emergency response capabilities.
This project reflects the kind of partnership needed to extend secure, reliable and affordable connectivity to more communities across Ghana,” said Estelle Akofio-Sowah, West Africa Regional Director at CSquared. “By using existing power infrastructure and an open-access model, we help reduce the cost and complexity of expanding broadband networks, while enabling more operators and service providers to reach critical mobile distribution points, schools, hospitals, government institutions, businesses and communities across northern Ghana. We are proud to work with USTDA and NEDCo on a project that supports Ghana’s digital transformation and strengthens the trusted infrastructure needed for inclusive growth.”
###
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency is the U.S. government’s first mover on critical infrastructure development in emerging markets, advancing the shared strategic priorities of the United States and our overseas partners while creating opportunities to deploy trusted U.S. solutions. USTDA funds the upfront technical work that accelerates the development of infrastructure projects, helping them attract the financing they need for implementation and procurement of U.S. goods and services.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: press@ustda.gov