By Amoako Kwame
The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications has raised concern over the sharp increase in fibre cuts across the country, warning that the problem is placing significant financial and operational pressure on telecom operators.
The Chamber’s Chief Executive Officer, Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah, said the industry now records more than 8,000 fibre cuts annually, compared with about 400 incidents a year during the early stages of network deployment.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Chamber’s 15th anniversary soft launch, Ms Owusu-Ankomah said the rising number of fibre cuts is forcing telecom operators to divert resources from network expansion and service improvements to repair damaged infrastructure.
She explained that the growing vulnerability of fibre infrastructure is partly linked to the rapid expansion of telecommunications networks, which has helped increase internet penetration in Ghana from about four percent to more than 70 percent.
Ms Owusu-Ankomah said fibre cuts continue to pose a major threat to network stability and the reliability of telecommunications services.
“We are experiencing over 8,000 fibre cuts per annum, which is increasingly straining operators’ resources. Investments that could have been used for new rollouts are instead being used to repair damaged fibre and meet quality-of-service obligations,” she said.
She added that the Chamber wants Ghana’s progress over the past 15 years to translate into stronger and more resilient telecommunications infrastructure.
To address the challenge, the Chamber is advocating for the adoption of a “dig once” policy, which would require fibre duct infrastructure to be incorporated into major road construction projects.
According to the Chamber, the policy would improve network resilience by allowing telecom operators to install fibre cables in protected underground ducts.
The industry is also seeking government support to fast-track the policy’s implementation, following reports that discussions on the proposal have reached Cabinet level.
Ms Owusu-Ankomah said resolving the issue of fibre cuts is critical to maintaining service quality and supporting Ghana’s digital transformation agenda.
“Fibre cuts have plagued the industry for a long time, and we believe Ghana has matured enough to put a stop to it. That is why the ‘dig once’ policy must be implemented this year,” she said.
