Filed under: Accra, March | Tags: connectivity, Ghana, GPRS, technology, Tigo
I went down to Tigo today in search of GPRS. I had been reading bloggers’ updates on the GPRS situation while I was in England last year, and had figured it would cost me an arm and a leg. Which it does – but only to get connected. Once you have the modem (250 cedis) and the sim (77 cedis, of which 60 are credit you can use) it’s really cheap – 1.50 cedis a day, with no restrictions on either time online or data. There appear to be three providers who do GPRS in Ghana at the moment, Tigo, MTN, and OneTouch. They all offer much the same deal, about 300 cedis to get going, then post-paid access where you use what you use, then they email you a bill the next month. The modem is unlocked and can be used anywhere, so in theory when I get back to the UK I can get a sim for it and use it there. Although I think the UK has the broadband version, and this is dial-up, so I would probably keep it for Ghanaian use.
I got Tigo because I heard they had the best coverage up north. Castro, the guy who set up my modem for me (take your laptop to the store and have them do it for you, don’t try this at home) had had the task of going all over northern Ghana with his laptop, checking that you could get reception everywhere, and apparently you can. Fortunately, he had noticed internet cafes on his way – it turns out I have to go all the way to the Ivoirian border, as there are a couple right there. It should be interesting – between Tamale and the border is the country’s biggest wildlife park. I’ll get to see elephants!
Anyway, GPRS good. Elephants good. Generally, a productive day.
In other news, it looks as if the rains are coming early this year in the north. The districts up there are investing in boats to rescue people. Perhaps I should get a dinghy…
Filed under: Accra, March | Tags: Accra, Ghana, migration, Research, technology
I made it. Still fairly toasty, like stepping into a steaming bathroom. There are more banks and phone companies than even a year ago, and there is a new government in power, but apart from that it’s all much the same.
My phone refuses to work – I hope I don’t have to get a new number, because the old one is printed on 200 business cards. It will be a lesson in zen if I have to change them.
The Libyan government airline, Afriqiyah, is quite unimpressive – the stopover at Tripoli was the essence of dodginess. Lots of blokes in leather jackets pointing in different directions, no idea who worked for the airline, the government, the airport – probably the same thing – and the second plane from Libya to Accra was bizzarrely an ancient Portuguese one, with a Portuguese crew. Odd. But I made it only an hour or so late, and it was great to see Hannah, who came to pick me up.
More tomorrow – I have to go sort out my phone.
