The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has announced plans to strengthen coordination between road contractors and telecommunications companies to reduce fibre-optic cable cuts and improve network quality in the Volta Region.

He said the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation was working with the Ministry of Roads to establish an effective coordination mechanism that would require road contractors to give telecommunications companies advance notice before undertaking construction works that could affect underground fibre-optic cables.

Speaking during a two-day monitoring tour of rural telephony project sites and community information centres in the Volta Region, covered by Journalist and Blogger Andre Mustapha Nii Okai Inusah,Mr George said frequent damage to fibre-optic infrastructure during road construction had contributed to poor network quality and service disruptions in parts of the region.

“We all love the work that is happening with the Big Push, and we want the roads to come here. We have seen the massive work being done, but the networks are carried through fibre cables underground. When road contractors are working, these cables are sometimes cut,” he said.

He explained that the government had decided to strengthen collaboration between the two ministries to ensure that telecommunications infrastructure was protected during road construction.

According to him, the chief directors of the two ministries had been tasked with revamping the National Coordination Team to establish a functional working arrangement between road contractors and telecommunications operators.

Under the proposed arrangement, road contractors would be required to notify telecommunications companies in advance so that fibre-optic cables could be relocated where necessary before construction begins.

Mr George said the move was intended to address recurring complaints about poor network quality and complete service disruptions, which were sometimes caused by damage to fibre-optic cables during road works.

He acknowledged, however, that fibre cuts were not the only cause of network challenges in the region, noting that several factors could affect service delivery.

The minister said the chief directors had been given one week to work with engineers to develop the necessary arrangements, expressing confidence that the intervention would significantly reduce fibre cuts and improve network performance in the Volta Region.

He added that improved coordination would help ensure that the region benefited fully from the country's ongoing digital transformation and investments in telecommunications infrastructure.

The two-day monitoring tour, which began on Thursday, October 15, 2026, and is expected to end on Friday, October 16, 2026, is aimed at assessing the progress, operational status and effectiveness of rural telephony projects and community information centres.

Mr George began the first day of the tour with a courtesy call on the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, before proceeding to inspect selected facilities across the region.

The exercise forms part of the government's efforts to ensure that investments in telecommunications infrastructure and digital services translate into tangible benefits for communities, particularly those in rural and underserved areas.

Story by: Andre Mustapha Nii Okai Inusah
Popularly Known As: Attractive Mustapha
Email: attractivemustapha@gmail.com
Contact Number 0244259564