MTN Ghana records 250 percent increase in fibre cuts

Leading mobile telecom operator, MTN Ghana has suffered a 250 percent increase in fibre cuts within the past six months – from November 2012 to May 2013.

Last month alone, the company recorded 78 cuts mainly due to damages caused by construction activities.

MTN officials have also decried the spate at battery and diesel theft at the company’s base stations. The Ashanti region alone has recorded 225 battery thefts.

Other telecom operators are suffering similar challenges.

These challenges affect the quality of the service delivery; creating network congestion and increase in call drops, says Cynthia Lumor, Corporate Services Executive at MTN.

She is hoping an intervention by the national security would curtail the trend of rampant fibre cuts.

National security has issued a directive to contractors and road builders to liaise with telecom companies to determine whether or not such fibres need to be moved before excavation for construction projects.

“We are hoping that this as well as all the engagement that we’ve been doing will decrease the incidence of cuts if not eliminate it totally”, says Mrs. Lumor.

About 15 percent of MTN Ghana’s total revenue goes into infrastructure development – company figures indicate $1.2billion has been invested since 2007.

According to Mrs. Lumor, MTN is spending $105million on infrastructure growth in 2013.