Road construction activities under the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme have been identified as the leading cause of fibre optic network damage in Ghana, accounting for approximately 49% of all fibre cuts recorded in the country.
Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, said the frequent damage to telecommunications infrastructure is disrupting network services and forcing telecom operators to spend millions of dollars on repairs.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, September 7, 2026, the Minister disclosed that Ghana had recorded 8,578 fibre cuts so far in 2026, with the cost of repairing the damaged infrastructure exceeding US$20 million.
Fibre Cuts Cost Ghana Telecom Operators Millions
According to Sam George, the money spent repairing damaged fibre optic cables could instead be used by telecommunications companies to build new network sites and expand coverage across the country.
He identified the government’s ongoing Big Push road construction programme as the biggest source of fibre damage because of the extensive road development projects being undertaken nationwide.
“That’s money that without the fibre cut we could have used to build new sites,” the Minister said.
He explained that road construction alone was responsible for about 49% of fibre cuts in Ghana, making it the largest single source of damage to the country’s telecommunications infrastructure.
Ghana’s Fibre Cuts Continue to Rise
The Communications Minister said fibre network damage has remained a persistent challenge for Ghana’s telecommunications industry over the past several years.
Available figures show that Ghana recorded approximately 3,900 fibre cuts in 2021, while the number exceeded 10,000 incidents in 2022. More than 6,000 fibre cuts were recorded in 2023, followed by over 5,600 in 2024.
The figure increased again to approximately 8,000 fibre cuts in 2025.
Sam George further disclosed that nearly 4,300 fibre cuts had already been recorded by the end of June 2026. If the current trend continues, Ghana could record close to 9,000 fibre-cut incidents by the end of 2026.
The continued damage is raising concerns about the cost of maintaining Ghana’s telecommunications infrastructure and its impact on efforts to improve internet connectivity and mobile network coverage.
Government Targets 800 New Telecom Sites
Despite the challenges facing Ghana’s telecommunications infrastructure, Sam George said government remains committed to expanding network coverage and improving digital connectivity.
He disclosed that the government has increased its target for new telecommunications sites from 50 sites in 2025 to 800 sites in 2026.
The expansion is expected to improve mobile network coverage and provide better access to telecommunications and digital services across Ghana.
The Minister, however, stressed that reducing fibre cuts would be essential to achieving these infrastructure expansion goals.
He explained that telecommunications operators cannot continuously divert funds earmarked for network expansion and new infrastructure into repairing fibre optic cables damaged by road construction and other activities.
Reducing damage to fibre networks, he said, will therefore be critical to protecting investment in Ghana’s digital infrastructure and accelerating the country’s digital transformation agenda.
Source: newsthemegh.com