By Sailu Bah As part of the activities marking the Gambia’s fifty years of nationhood, Gamtel/Gamcel, in close collaboration with MGI telecominternational, inaugurated the International Network Management Center (IINMC) building at Brusubi. The event, which was presided over by the Vice President on behalf of the President, was held on Thursday, 19 February, 2015. Speaking on the occasion, Baboucarr Sanyang, the Managing Director of Gamtel, said MGI Telecom Company from Switzerland was assigned by the government of the Gambia through a management contract with Gamtel/Gamcel to work closely in enhancing the broad band internet and communication services in the country. The Gamtel MD said the objective is to provide improved quality services and information security in telecommunication for both people inside and outside of the Gambia. He said the center will serve as a hub for the ACE cable to Europe because of its proximity and that it will also help in monitoring other service providers, adding that it is a 24 hour service with a high speed broad band internet services. Mr. Sanyang said Gamtel/Gamcel has started working closely with MGI telecom in June 2014 when the Gateway contract was signed. He said Gamtel as the gateway to all telecommunications in the country has worked very hard in putting sound policies and gathering revenue as well and delivering services to its esteem customers. On the challenges facing Gamtel, the MD noted the stealing of cables, the bypassing of the gateway, the recovery of debts and outstanding bills owed by institutions and companies as the biggest which are making the company to lose a lot of resources. Mr. Sanyang urged the government to intervene in safeguarding the West African Wide Area Network (ECOWAN) in which the Gambia is part of. For his part, Eliya Remond, speaking on behalf of MGI Telecom, said they have multiple benefits on quality telecomm service delivery, income or revenue generation, building and transforming knowledge and expertise for the upcoming generation. He described communication as a vital domain in human life. He concluded by thanking the government of the Gambia for their support. Sherrif Bojang, the minister of Information and Communication Infrastructure, said IINMC has come to significantly enhance and rejuvenate the communication landscape. Minister Bojang said there are four GSM operators and 7 internet service providers in the Gambia that have provided employment for many Gambians. The Information and Communication Infrastructure minister revealed that there are 2.2 million mobile based subscribers with 38500 in the 3G network and 48000 with fix lines. In the president’s inaugural statement, read on his behalf by Vice President Ajaratou Isatou Njie Saidy, he described the event as a landmark ceremony. The president said there cannot be any modern development without giving Information Communication Technology (ICT) its due, adding that ICT is amongst the fastest growing sectors in the Gambia. He commended Gamtel/Gamcel and their partners MGI for this initiative in telecommunication. The president said no nation is an Island and that this is why the Gambia has joined other nations in the ACE project to inter connect as it is the duty of the government to provide an enabling environment in enhancing ICT. He said the partnership with MGI telecommunication will help in providing enough security data and ICT in general to avoid fraudulent acts as well as the establishment of E Government, E business and a lot of E’s in the ICT which will help in proper service delivery and enhance development in the country.]]>
