The Liberian Telecommunications Authority (LTA) has initiated a nationwide program to rehabilitate and maintain rural base stations that were deployed under the Universal Access Fund (UAF) but have since been abandoned. The move, announced on Monday and initially revealed last Thursday via Facebook, comes after an LTA assessment found that nine of the 12 UAF-supported base stations in remote areas had been inactive for nearly two years. This left many rural areas without access to basic voice and data services.
The UAF cited the neglect of these sites by telecommunications operators, who prioritized urban deployments that are more commercially profitable. According to the UAF, telecommunications service providers typically focus on larger urban markets to maximize their profits, leaving rural communities under-served or unserved.
While the LTA has the support of government officials, telecom technicians, and engineers to repair the sites, there are challenges ahead. The initiative will begin in Bomi, Gbarpolu, and Grand Cape Mount counties, but ensuring long-term maintenance, including providing power and preventing infrastructure vandalism, remains a critical concern. A report from the World Bank-backed GOGLA organization also highlighted that only 7.6% of Liberia’s rural population has access to electricity, further complicating efforts to keep the base stations running.
