By Boakye Stephen, Kumasi, Ghana | Reporting for Ghanaian News, Canada | April 18, 2026
MTN Ghana has revealed that a recent wave of fibre-optic cable damage has disrupted operations across 157 network sites, significantly affecting service delivery nationwide.
Chief Executive Officer Stephen Blewett described the situation as a major operational challenge, noting that the damage has had widespread consequences for millions of users.
“When you cut fibre, you bring down all those sites… the experience is bad,” he stated, highlighting the scale of disruption caused by the incidents.
According to the company, the fibre cuts are largely attributed to road construction activities, accidental damage, and in some cases, deliberate theft or vandalism.
The outages have impacted essential services, including businesses, healthcare facilities, and emergency response systems that rely heavily on stable connectivity.
MTN Ghana emphasized that fibre infrastructure serves as the backbone of modern telecommunications and warned that continued damage poses a serious threat to the country’s digital ecosystem.
In response, the company is advocating for fibre-optic networks to be officially classified as Critical National Infrastructure, a move that would allow for stricter legal protection and harsher penalties for offenders.
Industry stakeholders have increasingly raised concerns about the frequency of such disruptions, calling for stronger collaboration between construction firms, regulators, and telecom operators to prevent future occurrences.
The issue has also reignited discussions about safeguarding Ghana’s digital infrastructure as the country continues to expand its reliance on technology-driven services.
MTN Ghana says it is working to restore affected sites and improve resilience across its network, while urging the public and relevant authorities to support efforts aimed at protecting vital communication systems.
