ACCRA, GHANA - (June 12, 2003) On June 10, 2003, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) awarded a $275,000 feasibility study grant to Capital Telecom Ltd. of Ghana. The grant will support a Feasibility Study/Pilot Project to test the viability of new technologies in providing low-cost wireless service in a rural environment.

The grant was conferred in a signing ceremony held in Accra, Ghana. The Honorable Mary Carlin Yates, U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, signed the grant agreement on behalf of the U.S. Government. Mr. Danny Ofori-Atta, Chairman, signed on behalf of Capital Telecom Ltd., which is based in Accra.

The project aims to demonstrate how next generation technology can reduce the cost of an international call originating in Ghana to one-tenth of its present cost. In addition, the pilot project, when implemented, will enable Capital Telecom to become a self-sufficient telecommunications provider that does not depend on competing companies to route calls. The project will provide Capital Telecom with more capacity to provide reliable service to customers in Ghana with a concentration on underserved rural communities. Warren Development Corporation of Los Angeles, California, will carry out the test project in the cities of Mpraeso and Akatsi, and the outskirts of Accra, and plans to have 50,000 subscribers by the end of 2005.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment. USTDA's strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable economic development. In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports of goods and services.

Back to Press Releases