The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Communications, Ing. Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, has called for the strict enforcement of permitting and approval rules for before excavation begins on any infrastructural works.
This is to prevent the destruction of fibre optic cables that have been installed in the country.
The destruction of these cables costs the telecoms industry players millions of dollars annually.
Between January and November of 2024 for instance, the industry spent $17.4 million dollars fixing over 10,000 fibre cuts countrywide.
He noted that “fibre infrastructure is vulnerable, and it’s only through collective effort that we can safeguard it.”
Ing Ashigbey also called for the collaborative resolution of landlord encroachment issues, a responsibility which currently seems to have been shirked by the various local Assemblies.
This development, he disclosed, has led to the stalling of the rollout of fibre in urban areas, as many landlords insist that these cables should not be laid in front of their properties.
He called for stronger inter-agency collaboration to protect these delicate investments.
Dr Ashigbey made these appeals at the launch of the Telecommunications Industry Optic Fibre Minimum Specifications and Standard Manual at the 24th Telecommunications Chamber Knowledge Forum, held in Accra.
The manual, which was developed by industry players, will set the standard for fibre optic deployment in Ghana.
The Director of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Rev. Ing. Edmund Fianko, noted that the manual will be the primary reference document.
By having a document, there will be consistent quality, clear labelling, predictability in locating cables to enhance their protection from damage.
He also noted that it is a tool for training people to correctly and maintain fibre optic cables in the country.
Rev. Fianko revealed that the NCA has proposed an amendment of section 77 of the Electronic Communications Act (2008), Act 775,that anyone who damages an installed cabled be fined not less than three times the cost of the repairs, or in default, criminal prosecution, where the culprit will be liable to a fine of not more than 10,000 penalties or a term of imprisonment of not more than five years in prison.
He stated, “we need to make it costly for anyone who cuts a fibre cable or damages communications infrastructure.”
We have to step up the enforcement mechanisms to protect these investments,” he iterated.
The NCA boss further indicated that the primary objective of the Authority is to develop an accessible and interactive fibre map to support planning and visualisation of network density across the country.
The Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, in a video message, noted that without standardisation, Ghana runs the risk of fragmentation and the continued destruction of this critical infrastructure.
He emphasised the need to protect this crucial digital infrastructure, just like we do the road and pipeline infrastructure that carry other essential utilities to the people.
“Destructive digging, uncoordinated installation, and poor maintenance must become things of the past.”
We must treat communication the same way we treat communication the same way we treat electricity and water – as an essential utility.”
By SELORM GBORBIDZI, Accra
