
The Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has reported a massive disruption in telecommunications services across the five northern regions and parts of the Oti Region. The outage, which began on September 26, was triggered by triple fibre cuts on critical transmission routes, severely impacting both voice and data connectivity for millions of residents. The National Communications Authority (NCA) confirmed that the damage has affected 2G, 3G, and 4G networks, leaving many communities without reliable means of communication.
Technical assessments identify the specific points of failure along three key transmission routes: Kintampo-Buipe, Wakawaka-Bamboi, and Hohoe-Jasikan. According to the Minister, the scale of the disruption is significant, impacting a combined total of 694 sites operating on 2G and 3G technology, as well as 521 sites providing 4G LTE services. These routes serve as the backbone for connectivity in the northern belt of the country, and their simultaneous failure has created a complex challenge for network stability.
In response to the crisis, a multi-agency restoration effort is currently underway. Technical teams from MTN Ghana, Telecel Ghana, and the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) have been deployed to the affected sites to identify the exact locations of the cuts and initiate repairs. The NCA is actively monitoring these restoration efforts to ensure that service is returned to the public as quickly as possible. Minister Sam George has offered an apology to residents for the disruptions, assuring the public that restoration work is being treated with the highest priority.
While the cause of the cuts has not been officially confirmed, such incidents are frequently linked to road construction or accidental damage during excavation works. This widespread outage highlights the vulnerability of the nation's digital infrastructure and the necessity for robust protection of transmission lines. As technical teams work around the clock, the NCA and the Ministry have pledged to provide further updates until full service is restored to all affected subscribers across the Northern and Oti regions.