The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications has raised alarm over the increasing number of fibre cuts across the country, warning that the situation is putting severe financial and operational pressure on telecom operators.

Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah, revealed that the industry is currently dealing with more than 8,000 fibre cuts every year, compared to about 400 annually during the early stages of network deployment in Ghana.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Chamber’s 15th anniversary soft launch, she explained that telecom operators are being forced to divert huge investments meant for network expansion and service improvements into repair and maintenance works.

According to her, the rapid expansion of telecommunications infrastructure over the years has increased the exposure of fibre cables, even though the growth has helped push internet penetration in Ghana from about four percent to more than 70 percent.

She described fibre cuts as one of the biggest threats to network stability and service reliability in the country.

“We are experiencing over 8,000 cuts per annum when it comes to fibre cuts, which is increasingly a strain on our operators’ resources. Resources and investments that could have been used for new rollouts are rather being used to repair damaged fibre lines and meet quality service obligations,” she said.

Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah stressed that the Chamber wants the industry’s 15-year journey to produce lasting solutions, particularly in ending the persistent problem of fibre cuts.

To address the challenge, the Chamber is advocating for the implementation of the proposed “dig once” policy, which seeks to make fibre duct infrastructure mandatory in major road construction projects.

The policy is expected to improve network resilience by allowing telecom operators to route fibre cables through protected underground ducts, reducing the risk of damage during road and construction works.

The Chamber says it is optimistic government will support the initiative, especially as discussions on the proposal are already at cabinet level.

“This fibre cut issue has plagued the industry for a long time and we believe Ghana has matured enough to put a stop to it. That is why we believe the ‘dig once’ policy must come into effect this year,” she added.

The Chamber maintains that resolving the fibre cut challenge is critical to sustaining network quality and supporting Ghana’s growing digital economy.