By Rachel Quartey
The Chairman of Parliament’s Committee on Information and Communications, Dr. Abednego Lamangin Bandim, has called on MTN Ghana and the National Communications Authority (NCA) to take urgent action to address frequent telecommunications network disruptions in parts of northern Ghana.
He said the recurring outages, coupled with inadequate communication to affected consumers, are disrupting essential services and leaving communities uncertain about the causes and duration of network failures.
In a press statement issued on September 27, 2026, Dr. Bandim recounted his personal experience of a major MTN network disruption on Saturday, September 26, while travelling from Salaga to Tamale.
According to him, the network went off at approximately 11 a.m. and was not restored until around 6 p.m., leaving him without service for about seven hours.
He said he had also received reports of similar disruptions in several other communities in the northern sector, including parts of Damongo and Bunkpurugu, with another outage reported the following morning.
Although he acknowledged that telecommunications operators may experience unforeseen technical challenges, including fibre cuts and infrastructure faults, Dr. Bandim said such difficulties should not prevent them from keeping consumers informed.
“What concerns me most is that when these disruptions occur, affected consumers are often left to speculate about what has happened,” he stated.
He said network operators must provide timely information about the causes of outages, the areas affected, the expected duration and the measures being taken to restore services.
Dr. Bandim noted that prolonged telecommunications outages extend beyond inconvenience, with serious implications for healthcare, education, businesses, transportation, financial transactions and emergency response.
He explained that hospitals could experience communication difficulties among healthcare professionals, while patients and their relatives might be unable to contact one another or reach health facilities when necessary.
The Chairman also expressed concern about the impact on students and researchers who depend on internet connectivity to access educational materials, conduct research and communicate with their institutions.
He stressed that consumers must be placed at the centre of responses to network disruptions, insisting that telecommunications operators have a responsibility to communicate directly with affected communities.
“It is not sufficient for a telecommunications operator to communicate only with the relevant authorities while affected consumers remain uninformed,” he said.
Dr. Bandim therefore urged MTN Ghana to strengthen its communication protocols and promptly inform customers whenever major outages occur.
He also called on the NCA to pay particular attention to the frequency and duration of disruptions in northern Ghana and ensure that service providers fulfil their obligations to consumers.
Where outages make SMS communication impossible, he said operators should use alternative platforms, including radio, television and social media, to provide timely updates.
Dr. Bandim said he would continue to monitor the situation and engage relevant stakeholders to establish the causes of the recurring disruptions and the measures being implemented to prevent their recurrence.
He maintained that reliable telecommunications services are essential to healthcare, education, commerce, emergency response and everyday life, urging operators and regulators to treat the situation with urgency.
