Liberia over the weekend joined other countries in Africa to celebrate African Telecommunications and ICT Day with the Secretary General of African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Abdoulkarim Soumaila calling on member states to migrate from analogue to digital.

In a statement read on his behalf by Posts and Telecommunications Minister Dr. Frederick Norkeh, Mr. Soumaila said digital migration has direct impact on development index of a country. He said information has become a significant economic issue in the global world.

Considering the importance of digital migration on development, Mr. Soumaila observed that many African countries have established policy frameworks and programs that address digital transition.

He said it is crucial for other governments which do not have the policies and programs of action for the migration to begin to do so, stressing that if this is done, it would allow the continent to move in one accord to maximize the benefits of the transition.

Despite the interest shown by many African countries, Soumaila said the continent is still behind in migrating from analogue to digital.

However, he said with the commitments from governments across Africa, migration from analogue to digital would be realized by 2015.

For his part, the acting Chairman of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) Henry Benson said the present age cannot allow Liberia to continue using analogue.

He said it is time for Liberia to migrate to digital services which would bring immense benefits to the country and its people.

Commissioner Benson said digitalization communication is an indispensable element of the 21st century.

He said LTA will ensure that Liberia successfully migrate from analogue to digital.