Recently, the Department of State for Communication, Information and Information Technology (DoSCI&IT), in collaboration with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), announced a "drastic" reduction in interconnection rates between the various telecommunication service providers in the country; an admirable show of a much needed response to the needs of the citizenry.

GSM communication, in spite of the evidently tremendous contribution of the people in its advancement, remains barely beneficial to the ordinary people, given the high costs involved in cross-network connections. While studies show improvements in terms of access to communication in general, Africans continue to find it difficult to realise the full benefit of the breakthrough in technology. This is mainly attributable to excessive ambition on the part of some profit-oriented business individuals; and neglect, on the part of some African governments.

As Gambians, we can pride ourselves on the privileges we enjoy thanks to the attention we get in ensuring that our rights are not infringed. The establishment of Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, as a watchdog against any possible exploitation by public service institutions, is a great testimony to this.

Advancement in technology has forced people to adapt, compelling even people in the most remote of settlements to spend their last bututs to keep in line. What is important to take note of is that being in possession of a communication gadget like a mobile phone does not in anyway suggest good living.

The demands of the day have kind of forced people to toe the line. Yes, a record number of people are now in possession of mobile phones, but how many of these are actually able to feed these mobiles? The situation has been made even more difficult by the ever increasing cost of living, globally.

This attempt by the two institutions to save the average Gambian from the shoulder-breaking interconnection rates is a commendable move that will go a long way in cutting down on some of the difficulties we face in finding our way though the congested highway of communication clouds.