Ghana’s persistent poor network connectivity has been linked to more than just technical challenges, with illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, and the John Mahama government’s Big Push infrastructure projects emerging as major factors affecting the stability of telecommunications services.
According to the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Sam Nartey George, the government’s Big Push programme has been responsible for nearly half of all fibre cuts recorded in Ghana.
He highlighted that the frequent damage to fibre networks was disrupting telecommunications services and imposing significant repair costs on operators.
Sam George argued that those resources could otherwise be channelled into expanding network coverage.
The Communication Minister explained that road construction accounted for about 49% of all fibre cuts, making it the single biggest source of damage to telecommunications infrastructure in the country.
He stated, “That’s money that without the fibre cut we could have used to build new sites… The biggest source of fibre cuts is from the Big Push project because the Ministry of Roads is carrying out an aggressive project to construct roads across the country”.
Also, Sam George disclosed that galamsey are responsible for about 25 per cent of all fibre cuts recorded across Ghana.
He disclosed that activities of illegal miners have emerged as a significant threat to the country’s telecommunications infrastructure which are disrupting fibre networks.
Sam George disclosed that galamsey operators often damage underground fibre infrastructure in the course of their mining activities without reporting the incidents to telecommunications companies.
He stated, “25 per cent of fibre cuts are a result of galamsey. The telecom industry is one of the worst hit by the activities of galamsey operators. They [galamsey operators] just go in and make cuts. Road contractors will often report fibre cuts, but galamsey operators won’t report it, and that is a real challenge to the sector.”
The disruption of fibre-optic infrastructure by mining activities and major construction works has reportedly left network operators grappling with frequent fibre cuts, resulting in service interruptions and poor connectivity in affected areas.
As Ghana pushes ahead with infrastructure development while battling the environmental and economic impact of galamsey, the damage to critical telecommunications infrastructure is adding another dimension to the country’s connectivity challenges.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has claimed that the country has “turned the corner” in tackling the menace.
According to the Lands Minister, the Ankobra River has been cleared of thousands of Changfan machines and illegal mining (galamsey) operators following a year of sustained patrols.
Speaking on Thursday, September 3, 2026, after joining NAIMOS and Navy Special Forces on a 16-kilometre patrol of the Ankobra River from Dominase to Gwira Banso in the Western Region, the Lands Minister claimed that the government’s fight against galamsey is clearly yielding results.
Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, during the tour, stated, “I have been informed that we are close to 3000 machines that have been cleared not only on the Ankobra, Birim and other rivers. Over 237 arrests, with 144 of them being foreign nationals.
This clearly shows that we are turning the corner; we are using more intelligent lead operations. We are being intentional about these operations, and the results are showing. We have shifted from the periodic raids and moved into permanent deployment, which is showing these results”.
He further added, “If you have followed this difficult work in the last close to 2 years, you will not be sitting on any TV in Accra talking that we are not making progress with the fight against illegal mining.
You have to come to the Ankobra and look at what the Ankobra looked like last year, and today it is clear. We have not gotten to the point where we want to see the river blue, but we have made great progress changfans machines and the thugs”.
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