MTN Signs Contract with KNUST to Provide Internet on Campus

Telecommunication giant, MTN, has signed a commercial contract with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to improve coverage as well as provide unbeatable internet connectivity to its community.
MTN has laid fibre-optic cables to all halls of residence on campus, not only to improve internet connectivity, but also as part of a barter system to build some cell sites on campus.
The Ghc3 million project which will run for five years, was undertaken in collaboration with international mobile firm, Ericsson.
Speaking to Ultimate Business’ Patricia Bonsu at the signing event, Senior Manager for ICT Sales, Business Development and Enterprise Division at MTN, Daniel Asare said MTN’s partnership with KNUST to embark on the project started over a year ago.
“We have done this partnership with KNUST a little over year ago. We started when we didn’t have coverage on campus, so we approached them that we wanted to bring up some sites on campus and they said we can do that as barter.
“What we did was to do fibre to all their halls in exchange for building MTN cell sites on campus to improve courage. After that KNUST wanted internet for all the halls, so they did an RFP and then MTN put in a bid and we won. So we’ve implementing it over the last month and we’ve just finished.”
He added: “Today we are here to sign a commercial contract which will run for the next five years. After five years, we will go into another discussion, but at least the infrastructure is there so the service can then run as a normal internet. The response has been very good, we came in to solve a problem and by large we’ve been able to do it,” Asare remarked.
On the part of the University, Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Professor William Otoo Ellis thanked MTN for the great job they had done, explaining that it would go a long way to support teaching, learning and research on campus.
He further urged MTN and Ericsson “to do more in this regard since a lot is expected of them”.