President J. A. Kufuor yesterday cut the sod for work to begin on the National Communication Backbone Project designed to transform the communication industry in Ghana and warned miscreants who tamper with cables and optical fibre to stop, otherwise they should expect a showdown with the law enforcement agencies.

Under the Project estimated at $70 million, all regional capitals and 36 major towns across the country will be linked by optical fibre to enhance rural telephony and Internet services.

Huawei Technologies Ghana Limited, a top Chinese communication company, executing the project, has taken delivery of equipment and work is currently proceeding simultaneously in five regions.

The first phase of the project, which involves the upgrading of the existing optical fibre network and expansion of the communications network in the southern loop, will be completed in January 2008 and the second phase, which takes care of the expansion of the network to parts of northern Ghana, is expected to be ready by the end of 2008.

Performing the ceremony at the Kawukudi Junction in Accra, President Kufuor said the high priority project was of strategic importance and would provide broadband capacity for the deployment and application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) all over the country.

He added that the project was intended to improve governance, expand educational opportunities, manpower development, healthcare delivery, general commerce, modernized agriculture and improve environmental monitoring and business development.

An added bonus of the project, the President said, was that football fans would enjoy enhanced services delivery during the Cup of African Nations tournament.

President Kufuor drew attention to the current spate of cable and optical fibre thefts and directed that the law enforcement agencies deal with the problems at all cost.

"Let me warn the miscreants who are already tampering with the optical fibre cables being laid to desist form such criminal acts and can only be described as national sabotage", he added.

He called on all to remain vigilant and protect the cables and also co-operate with the police and other law enforcement agencies to apprehend the few bad lots.

The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Yu Wenzhe, said the execution of the project, which would pave the way for economic and social developments in the country, was a further demonstration of the fruitful co-operation between Ghana and China.

The Minister of Communication, Dr. Benjamin Aggrey Ntim, said the Ministry had facilitated the grant of rights of way by the Ghana Highway Authority and the Department of Urban Roads for work on the project to commence.

Again, he said, the Ministry had sought the assistance of various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to facilitate the acquisition of sites in their localities for the execution of the project.

Dr. Aggrey Ntim said Cabinet had decided that Volta Com of the Volta River Authority (VRA), which provided some backbone facility, should be transformed into a separate public company to be known as the National Communication Backbone Company (NCBC) to take care of the optical fibre transmission network in the country.

Sources: Daily Graphic