Galamsey, Big Push Named Top Causes of Fibre Cuts
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Galamsey, Big Push Road Works Named Top Causes of Rising Fibre Cuts – Sam George
Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George says these incidents have skyrocketed in recent years, jumping from 3,900 in 2021 to 8,578 in 2026 and he’s naming names when it comes to what’s causing it.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, September 7, 2026, George admitted that fibre cuts remain a persistent headache for service quality, even as network operators push forward with expansion and infrastructure upgrades.
Despite all the work we’re doing, fibre cuts will continue to be a big challenge to service quality, he said.
George didn’t hold back on identifying the single biggest culprit. According to him, government’s own Big Push road infrastructure programme is responsible for more fibre damage than anything else nationwide.
The biggest source of fibre cuts is from the Big Push project, he said.
The Minister pointed to a second major contributor too illegal small-scale mining, commonly known as galamsey. He described the telecom industry as one of the sectors hit hardest by galamsey operations, with mining activity regularly damaging buried fibre infrastructure.
The telecom industry is one of the worst hit by the activities of galamsey operators, he said.
The financial toll is significant. George revealed that telecom operators have already spent more than $20 million this year alone just to repair fibre infrastructure damaged by cuts. That’s money, he pointed out, that could otherwise have gone toward expanding and strengthening the network.
We’re spending over $20 million this year to fix fibre cuts; that money we could have used to expand and make the network better, he said.
This disclosure paints a sobering picture of just how exposed Ghana’s telecom infrastructure remains, even as the sector chases ambitious growth plans. That includes MTN Ghana’s recently announced multi-billion-dollar investment aimed at expanding coverage and rolling out 5G services across the country plans that could be undermined if the underlying infrastructure keeps taking this kind of damage.
