Gov't Pushes Stronger Coordination to Prevent Fibre Cuts During Roadworks
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has called for stronger coordination between road construction agencies and telecommunications operators to prevent damage to fibre-optic cables during infrastructure projects.
He said the expansion of roads across the country was increasing the risk of damage to existing telecommunications infrastructure, much of which had been laid years before current road construction began.
Speaking after a two-day tour of rural telephony sites and One Million Coders Programme centres in the Volta Region, Hon. Samuel Nartey George said the government wanted road development to continue without unnecessarily disrupting mobile and internet services.
He explained that fibre cables laid along single-lane roads could be affected when those roads were expanded into dual carriageways or larger highways.
“We want to have a point of focus, focal persons who are the points of reference for every road across the country,” he said.
According to Sam Geoge, the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the Communications Ministry, the NCA, mobile network operators, internet service providers and the National Engineering Coordination Team had met to address the problem.
He said chief directors had been given one week from the Wednesday meeting to restructure the coordination team and begin implementing measures to improve communication between road contractors and telecommunications infrastructure owners.
Under the proposed system, authorities would identify upcoming road projects and notify asset owners operating within the affected corridors so that cables could be protected or relocated before excavation.
Hon. Samuel Nartey George said the initiative was necessary because damage in one location could affect mobile sites and communities far beyond the construction area.
He cited a fibre cut along the Winneba–Cape Coast road that reportedly disrupted about 300 cell sites, including sites in Takoradi and Kasoa.
The Minister urged improved planning and public awareness to protect telecommunications infrastructure and reduce avoidable service disruptions.
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