The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has warned Ghana’s mobile network operators to improve the quality of their services by December 31, 2025, or face severe financial penalties.
According to the minister, a portion of the fine will directly compensate affected customers.
The minister also announced that 40% of any fines imposed on non-compliant telecom companies will go directly to affected customers, likely through data or call-time bonuses.
He issued the warning at a high-level meeting held on Friday, May 30, 2025, with the chief executive officers and technical teams of MTN, Telecel, and AT.
“We are not doing sentiments. We are doing engineering,” Sam George said, adding, “If you have infrastructure in place but your service is poor, we must begin to take regulatory action.”
During the meeting made a presentation to the National Communications Authority (NCA) based on a performance assessment in 48 localities across the country.
The study focused on measuring four key performance indicators: 3G Coverage, Call Setup Time (CST), Mean Opinion Score (MOS) for call quality, and 3G Data Throughput.
It identified inconsistencies in network performance across all three operators, following which the minister asked to improve their services or face sanctions.
The minister particularly raised concerns about several areas experiencing poor network coverage, including Amasaman and East Legon, where service quality has dropped despite wider network coverage.
He indicated that parts of Accra are experiencing network “blackouts” and substandard 4G performance.
Meanwhile, the NCA is expected to conduct a nationwide service quality test, covering all district capitals in the third quarter of 2025. Based on its findings, the government will take “decisive action” if no significant improvements are seen.
The telcos have until June 30, 2025, to complete the acceptance process for newly allocated spectrum.
They have been directed to deploy the spectrum immediately, with visible improvements in service by the end of December.
“We know you can’t complete upgrades in three months, but we must see that the process has begun. The Ghanaian people must feel the impact of the spectrum rollout by the end of this year,” Sam George said.
The CEOs, on their part, assured the minister that they certainly deploy strategies to address the concerns raised.
MTN Ghana CEO Stephen Blewett stated that the company had invested $230 million in 2024 to strengthen its network and IT systems. Plans include launching 300 new franchise outlets, hiring 400 new staff, and rolling out secure self-service tools for SIM swaps and PIN resets.
Telecel Ghana COO Mohamad Ghaddar, on his part, disclosed that the company has made significant gains in continuous network optimisation and customer service improvements.
He said the company has over 400 retail shops and plans to add 100 more, adding that Ghaddar, the company, will support customers with special needs and welcomed regulatory engagement.
Leo Skarlatosz, the CEO of AT, noted that they are investing in significant network upgrades which should be “clearly visible” by the first quarter of 2026.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
