The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Hon. Samuel Nartey George, has presented a detailed snapshot of the state of Ghana’s telecommunications network during a ministerial briefing at the Government Accountability Series under the theme “Connecting Ghana: Investment, Growth and Resilience in Our National Network.”
Delivering the update on where the national network stands, the Minister highlighted that government investments alongside operator rollouts are aggressively accelerating network coverage and overall capacity across the country.
These developments are progressing despite persistent operational hurdles, including uncoordinated excavation works and grid instability that continue to threaten service quality nationwide.
Key performance figures unveiled during the briefing demonstrate significant momentum within the sector. Target projections show that 800 new MTN sites are slated for deployment, comprising 500 planned sites alongside 300 additional rollouts. This represents the single highest annual infrastructure build-out recorded in a decade.
Capital investment from major service provider Telecel surged by over 60 percent between 2023 and 2026 compared to the preceding four-year period.
On subscriber adoption, national smartphone penetration reached 71.8 percent as of June 2026, marking a substantial leap from the 27.5 percent recorded in 2016. However, network infrastructure faces ongoing strain, with projected industry-wide fibre cuts reaching 8,578, costing operators in excess of 102 million cedi in repairs.
A detailed spotlight on MTN’s decade-long expansion revealed a steady trajectory in network site additions over the years. Following a capacity consolidation phase between 2024 and 2025, where builds dipped to 30 and 50 sites respectively, rollout acceleration has surged back to historic highs.
The current deployment phase of 800 sites stands out against previous years, such as 2016 when only 134 sites were built.
Telecel’s performance snapshot similarly highlighted accelerated capital investment following its acquisition in 2023.
The operator’s capital investment rose from 352 million cedi during the 2019 to 2022 pre-Telecel era to 1,025 million cedi in the 2023 to 2026 period. Consequently, 4G site deployment experienced aggressive growth, rising from low historical figures to 1,600 total sites year-to-date.
The briefing reinforces government’s ongoing commitment to strengthening digital infrastructure, creating a resilient network ecosystem, and deepening connectivity across all corners of Ghana.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
