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Ericsson today announced its support for a new MillenniumVillage in Ghana which will bring connectivity to up to 30,000 people. Ericsson in partnership with Tigo (Millicom Ghana) will deploy a voice and data network along with a hybrid power solution, providing mobile network coverage and connectivity for previously unconnected rural communities in the Northern part of Ghana. The objective is to improve citizen�s social and economic well-being, and to support efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The Millennium Villages project, a partnership between the Earth Institute, Millennium Promise and UNOPS, is working with over 500,000 people in 10 African countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The new project site in North Ghana is funded by the United Kingdom�s Department for International Development (DfID). Today, over 500,000 people in 10 countries across sub-Saharan Africa benefit from mobile connectivity as a result of the Millennium Villages Project.The new project site in North Ghana will provide data connectivity to 16 schools and 5 clinics, in some of the poorest sections of the West-Mamprusi and Builsa Districts. Findings from a recent World Bank report show that though Ghana has succeeded in reducing the national rate of povertyand is well on course to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on halving poverty by 2015, the northern part of the country is bucking the national trend. Amadou Niang, Director of the MDG Centre for West Africa,said "The Millennium Villages Project is honored to partner with Ericsson and Tigo in the North Ghana region. Mobile services along with internet connectivity will boost all levels of development in this otherwise neglected area. I believe we will see quick advances in health, education, agriculture, infrastructure and business development through this partnership. It will help to accelerate the elimination of poverty and provide vital services for the communities throughout the region." Lars Lind�n, President of Ericsson Sub-Saharan Africa, said: �We are committed to supporting the achievement of the MDGs in Africa and expect the connectivity in the new Millennium Village to act as a catalyst for economic growth while improving the quality of life of the residents.� ObafemiBanigbe, acting CEO Tigo Ghana, said: �Globally, Millicom's mission is to provide freedom to access today's world for people in emerging markets; for people who want to stay in touch, belong to communities and to be informed as well as entertained; in so doing enabling them to express their emotions and to enhance their lives. It is our overriding vision to create a world where mobile services are affordable, accessible and available everywhere and to all.� To Be Supported By Ericsson And Tigo Technology � Up to 30,000 people in rural Millennium Villages to have access to mobile communication � Ericsson and Tigo to provide voice and data network � Mobile broadband key enabler towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals About the Millennium Villages Project The Millennium Villages are proving that by fighting poverty at the village level through community-led development, rural Africa can achieve the Millennium Development Goals�global targets for reducing extreme poverty and hunger by half and improving education, health, gender equality, and environmental sustainability� by 2015, and escape the extreme poverty that traps hundreds of millions of people throughout the continent. Simple solutions like providing high-yield seeds, fertilizers, medicines, drinking wells, and materials to build school rooms and clinics are effectively combating extreme poverty and nourishing communities into a new age of health and opportunity. Improved science and technology such as agroforestry, insecticide-treated bed nets, antiretroviral drugs, the Internet, remote sensing, and geographic information systems enriches this progress. Over a 10-year period spanning two five-year phases, community committees and local governments build capacity to continue these initiatives and develop a solid foundation for sustainable growth. Currently 500,000 people in 14 sites across 10 countries are part of the project. Each site is located in a distinct agro-ecological zone, which, taken together, represent the farming systems used by 90% of the agricultural population of sub-Saharan Africa. To learn more, please visit www.millenniumvillages.org.