Mobile telephony has come to stay in this part of our world, Ghana. It is quite interesting to see the evolution of the telecom industry move so fast in Ghana. Most people now wonder as to where we're going to be in the not too distant future.
Not until 1995 when the then Spacefon came into being, there was only the fixed line communication and the Analogue (Walkie Talkie) system operated by only one company, Millicom Ghana Limited. But with the introduction of the Spacefon into the system, people who were deemed to be of the 'higher class' possessed such a phone. Fortunately, towards the mid 2000's Ghana Telecom introduced the 'One Touch service, Millicom also introduced the "Buzz" which were all Digital Telephony. One could hold a phone without a chip, whilst others bought the chips at (360, 000 cedis), now 36.00 Ghana Cedis and resold it for as much as (1,200.000.00) now120.00 Ghana cedis.
Today, thanks to the liberalisation of the telecom systems, there is greater competition and the end users are benefiting from it. They enjoyed monopoly, (the first mobile phone operators), but Millicom Ghana ltd decided to break the 'chip monopoly' by reducing its cost drastically to as low as (99, 000.00), now 9.90gps which forced the others to reconsider pricing their chips.
I used to tell fellow brothers that we shall have a day when the telecom companies shall offer unto us fully connected mobile phones for free, and that we shall only be asked to buy credit. It is coming gradually, with a chip being sold for as low as 1.00 Ghana cedi.
Have you realised that people no longer replace their screens, housing, and other minor repairs as frequent as it used to be? Why? It is just simply because mobile phones have become so cheap that there isn't the need for you to spend money capable of buying you a new phone on phone repairs. The business is dwindling and it is keeping a lot of guys out of the repairs business.
One funny thing creeping into the use of the mobile of late is the way we speak. You would realise upon serious observation that instead of guys and gals putting the phone close to their ear, they rather move it closer to their mouths when communicating with someone after which they move it back close to their ear to listen. That to me is funny, looking at the technology used in the manufacture of a digital mobile phone. The Phone is a "FULL-DUPLEX" system, which means that you should be able to talk and listen at the same time. But it baffles my mind to see guys and gals moving the phone 'to and fro' each time they are talking. That's wrong and we should rethink how we use the mobile phone.
In a Half-Duplex system, two parties can communicate, but one at a time. An example of a half duplex system is the 'Walkie-Talkie' or the (Motorola) as popularly known in the Ghanaian society. So if your phone is not a walkie-talkie and you are moving it back and fro, it looks to me as if you don't really understand the usage of the system you are holding. A Simplex communication system is where by one transmits and one receives without being able to send a feedback (eg TV or Radio). We are in a digital world, we ought to move the way and manner the digital community is moving. You and I can help make the use of digital systems more meaningful for the advancement of human race and for the uplifting of the people who live by you. Let the mobile phone you are using be a tool for development; not for gossips, lies, threats, and any other thing which is illegal. How come upon using a mobile phone you have become a liar? When you are suppose to tell someone exactly where you are, you prefer to lie about your location? You can do better than the way you are doing now. Tell someone by you not to use the mobile phone to lie. Use it to help someone's life. Share the Good News of God. You know you can definitely do better than you are doing now. Wise up. Thank you.
