Fibre damage linked to road construction has cost telecom operators more than US$20 million in repairs this year, Communications Minister Sam Nartey George says.
Road construction under the government’s Big Push programme is responsible for nearly half of all fibre cuts recorded in Ghana this year, according to Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Sam Nartey George.
The Minister disclosed that Ghana had recorded 8,578 fibre-cut incidents so far in 2026, with the cost of repairing the damaged infrastructure exceeding US$20 million.
Speaking at the Accountability Series on Monday, September 7, 2026, Sam George said road construction was the single biggest source of damage to the country’s telecommunications infrastructure, accounting for approximately 49% of all fibre cuts.
“That’s money that without the fibre cut we could have used to build new sites… The biggest source of fibre cuts is from the Big Push project because the Ministry of Roads is carrying out an aggressive project to construct roads across the country,” he said.
The Minister said the frequent damage to fibre infrastructure was not only disrupting telecommunications services but also placing a significant financial burden on network operators.
According to him, millions of dollars that could have been invested in expanding network coverage are instead being spent repairing infrastructure damaged during construction activities.
He explained that repeated fibre cuts were making it more difficult for telecommunications companies to invest in new infrastructure and improve connectivity across the country.
Ghana has experienced consistently high levels of fibre damage in recent years.
The country recorded approximately 3,900 fibre cuts in 2021, more than 10,000 in 2022, over 6,000 in 2023 and more than 5,600 in 2024.
The figure rose again to about 8,000 incidents in 2025.
With 8,578 cuts already recorded in 2026, the Minister said Ghana could record close to 9,000 fibre-cut incidents by the end of the year if the current trend continues.
Despite the challenges, Sam George said the government remained committed to expanding telecommunications infrastructure and improving network coverage.
He disclosed that the government had revised its target for new telecommunications sites from 50 in 2025 to 800 in 2026.
The increased target is part of broader efforts to extend reliable telecommunications services to more communities across the country.
However, the Minister stressed that protecting existing fibre infrastructure would be essential to achieving these expansion goals.
He said reducing fibre damage would prevent resources earmarked for network expansion from being continually diverted towards costly repairs.
The figures highlight the growing need for closer coordination between road construction projects and telecommunications infrastructure.
As the government accelerates road development under the Big Push programme, better planning around existing fibre networks could help reduce service disruptions, repair costs and delays to network expansion.
For Ghana’s digital infrastructure ambitions to succeed, protecting existing fibre networks will be just as important as building new telecommunications sites.
Source: Wesleyannews.com
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