Projects

This menu contain details about projects that are being undertaken by the National Communications Authority. The NCA is currently engaged in the following projects;

•    Digital Terrestrial Switchover Project
The NCA is working in accordance with the Geneva 2006(GE06) agreement of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to ensure  that by 2015,terrestrial television stations: GTV, TV3, TV Africa, Crystal TV, Metro TV, Viasat1, Net-2 TV, e-TV Ghana, Coastal TV, GhOne, Top TV and all others with similar licenses migrate their transmissions from analogue to a digital platform.
In digital broadcasting, frequencies are used more efficiently, while video quality is enhanced.
 Digital Broadcasting also ensures that many more television stations are carried on the same frequency bandwidth that was previously carried by only one analogue TV station. The result is a brighter, sharper picture image with much better sound quality and a lot more choice of programmes. Compared with today's conventional analogue radio and TV broadcasting, digital transmission does not only  provide better quality sound and images, it usually require less power to transmit and take up less bandwidth, therefore allowing more signals to be carried over a given infrastructure with efficiency gains.

•    SIM Card Identification
On July 1, 2010, Ghana embarked on a SIM card registration exercise which required users of mobile telephony services to identify with their phone chips or SIM cards. The exercise was to run for a full year from July 1, 2010 to June 30 2011 but was subsequently extended to March 3, 2012 following the promulgation of Subscriber Identity Module Registration Regulations, 2011 (L.I. 2006) . This means that for any SIM card or phone chip to be operational in Ghana after March 3, 2012, it should be registered.
What benefit do consumers derive by registering their numbers?
i.    Getting your phone number back easily: if you lose your phone or have it stolen, you can have a new chip with the same number since that number has been registered in your name. The information that you provide to your network operator during the registration period is enough proof of the fact that you own that number.
ii.    Helping to provide security to yourself and other members of the public.

•    Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
Mobile number portability is now a reality in Ghana. That means you can move from one mobile network to another and still retain your existing telephone number if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the services provided by your current mobile network, or you just want to take advantage of offers, features, or pricing available on a different network.

•    Broadband Wireless Access
In accordance with its mandate under the Electronic Communications Act, 2008, Act 775 and the National Telecommunications Policy 2005 (NTP’05), the Authority is seeking to award licenses for provision of Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) Licenses in the 2500 – 2690 MHz frequency band.

Special Projects
The Authority has undertaken specific projects to address some regulatory and operational challenges. Notable among them:
•    Decentralization
The Authority has embarked on decentralization agenda to bring its services closer to residents throughout the country. It has already opened three temporary zonal   offices in Tamale, Takoradi and Kumasi and cut sod for the construction of 5 storey permanent offices in these three zones.

•    Illegal Termination of International Traffic
The Authority after thorough investigations is collaborating with industry players and team of consultants, the Global Voice Group S.A. on Consolidated International Gateway (CIG) project to curb this economic menace.

Updated on 10-06-2012