Power instability and flooding are emerging as major threats to the reliability of Ghana’s telecommunications network, the Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has said.
According to the minister, network challenges cannot be attributed solely to the performance of telecommunications operators because critical infrastructure depends heavily on a stable national power supply.
Speaking during the Government’s Accountability Series, Mr George said telecommunications cell sites primarily depended on electricity from the national grid, with batteries and generators serving as backup systems.
He said disruptions to the national power grid therefore had a direct impact on mobile telecommunications services.
The minister cited the Akosombo fire incident as one of the major events that affected the country’s telecommunications infrastructure during the year.
According to him, the incident significantly reduced power capacity and consequently affected the operation of telecom sites.
He said the situation became even more difficult during the Greater Accra floods.
Sam George explained that the power supply had to be deliberately switched off in some flooded areas to prevent electrocution and other safety risks.
Normally, he said, generators at affected telecommunications sites would automatically provide backup power.
However, several generators were themselves submerged in floodwaters and became unable to operate.
The result, he said, was a loss of telecommunications services in affected communities.
Sam George said the challenge did not end when floodwaters receded because operators then had to replace damaged generators and other equipment before services could be fully restored.
He said the government was therefore approaching network resilience from multiple angles, including infrastructure expansion, protection of fibre networks and improved coordination among institutions.
The minister said Ghana’s network was facing three major pressures: physical damage to the fibre backbone, instability in the national power grid and subscriber growth that was outpacing infrastructure expansion.
He stressed that highlighting the challenges was not intended to excuse poor service but to provide the public with a clearer understanding of the factors affecting network performance.
Sam George said the government would continue working with industry and relevant state institutions to build a more resilient telecommunications system capable of supporting Ghana’s growing digital economy.
