Gov't Raises Concern Over Border Communities Paying More for Telecom Services
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, has expressed concern over the high cost of telecommunications services faced by some border communities in the Volta Region due to signals from Togo’s Togocel network.
According to the minister, residents in some communities near the Ghana-Togo border sometimes find themselves using Togolese networks to make calls, potentially exposing them to expensive roaming charges.
He raised the concern during a courtesy call with the Volta Regional Minister, Hon. James Gunu, as part of a two-day tour to inspect telecommunications infrastructure and digital development projects in the region.
Sam George explained that the challenge was linked partly to the reach of signals from neighbouring Togo and the coverage limitations of rural telephony infrastructure.
“Many of our communities, because it’s a rural telephony network and because of the strength of the transponders that are put on the rural telephony network, have the penetration of telecom services from Togocel,” he said.
He added that reports from border communities indicated that some Ghanaian residents had to rely on the Togolese network to make phone calls, resulting in higher charges.
“And so many times, you know that I get the calls; I get the reports that say that in some of our border communities, you see, it’s as though our citizens have to roam on the Togolese network to be able to make phone calls. And then that comes at more expensive charges to them,” he stated.
The minister said the ministry was examining the situation to determine the steps needed to address the problem and improve connectivity in affected communities.
As part of the tour, Sam George is expected to visit rural telephony installations at Akoefe Gadza and Akoete to assess the state of infrastructure and challenges on the ground.
He stressed that the ministry was committed to improving telecommunications services across the region and ensuring that residents could access reliable networks without facing avoidable costs.
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