The Internet Society (ISOC) Ghana Chapter has called for stronger policy and regulatory reforms to support the development of community networks as a sustainable solution to bridging the digital divide in underserved and rural communities across Ghana.
The call was made yesterday at the opening of the two-day Ghana Community Networks Policy Dialogue and Workshop in Accra, which brought together regulators, internet service providers, development partners and digital inclusion advocates to explore alternative approaches to expanding internet access.
President of the Internet Society Ghana Chapter, Dr. Maud Ashong Elliot, said while Ghana has made significant progress in digitalisation, many rural communities continue to face barriers including inadequate infrastructure, high costs, unreliable electricity, limited digital skills and insufficient investment.
She explained that community networks—communications infrastructure built and managed with the active participation of local communities—could help address these challenges by providing affordable and resilient internet services.
According to her, community networks require an enabling policy environment, sustainable financing, infrastructure sharing, appropriate technologies and strong local capacity to succeed.
“We expect this dialogue to produce practical policy recommendations, implementation priorities and stronger collaboration among regulators, government agencies, technical organisations, civil society and local communities,” she said.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Jean Baptiste Millogo, Director of Internet Technology and Development at the Internet Society, noted that nearly two billion people worldwide remain without internet access, many of whom live in rural and marginalized communities.
He stressed that achieving meaningful connectivity requires enabling policies, appropriate licensing frameworks and sustainable financing to support community-led internet initiatives.
Mr. Millogo described the Ghana dialogue as an important platform for stakeholders to develop practical solutions that would strengthen community networks and improve digital inclusion.
During a panel discussion on “Towards a Social Licence: Policy and Regulatory Pathways for Community Networks,” participants examined the regulatory reforms needed to support community-owned internet infrastructure.
Joining virtually, Josephine Miliza, Global Policy and Regulatory Lead for the Local Networks (LocNet) Initiative at the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), said several African countries, including Kenya, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and South Africa, were making progress in developing enabling regulatory frameworks for community networks.
She observed that restrictive licensing regimes, high spectrum costs, equipment taxes and bureaucratic procedures remain significant barriers to community-led connectivity initiatives across Africa.
Miliza urged Ghana to adopt flexible licensing arrangements, affordable spectrum access and make greater use of universal service funds to support underserved communities.
Representing the National Communications Authority (NCA), Nana Akosua Acheampong of the Regulatory Administration Division said Ghana already has a Hotspot Authorisation, which allows operators to provide internet services within limited geographical areas at relatively low licensing costs.
She indicated that while the existing authorisation could serve as a starting point, the regulator remained open to working with stakeholders to develop a framework specifically tailored for community networks.K
President of the Ghana Internet Service Providers Association (GISPA), Kwadwo Offei-Dzan, welcomed the discussions, saying the association was committed to working with the NCA and other stakeholders to ensure smaller internet service providers are adequately represented and supported in expanding connectivity to underserved communities.
