Samuel Nartey George
The Minister of Communications, Digitalisation and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has disclosed that mobile network operators will construct 1,150 new telecommunications sites this year as part of efforts to improve service quality and address persistent network challenges across the country.
Answering questions on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, the Minister said the initiative forms part of government measures to tackle poor network performance and expand telecommunications infrastructure nationwide.
According to him, MTN has been directed to construct 800 new sites in 2026, while Telecel will build an additional 350 sites. He expressed optimism that the expansion programme would significantly improve the quality of service experienced by subscribers.
“By the end of the year, we will have 1,150 new sites, which should improve the quality of service,” Mr. George told Parliament.
To support this objective, he noted that additional spectrum has been made available to mobile network operators through the National Communications Authority (NCA) to increase network capacity.
He added that quality-of-service obligations imposed on telecom operators have been revised, while a stricter monitoring and enforcement regime has been introduced to ensure compliance.
Mr. George also revealed that the NCA has sought the support of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to facilitate the release of land through Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) for the construction of telecommunications towers.
Addressing the frequent destruction of fibre-optic cables, the Minister announced that proposed amendments to the NCA Act will introduce punitive measures against individuals and entities responsible for damaging telecom infrastructure.
The Minister also attributed current network challenges partly to years of underinvestment in telecommunications infrastructure.
“We are fixing a decay of 10 years. It will take some time, but we are hopeful that it will be fixed,” he said.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House