Minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has put telecom operators on notice: deliver better service or pay the price.
Speaking at a high-level meeting with the CEOs and technical teams of MTN, Telecel, and AT on Friday, May 30, Mr. George warned that operators who fail to improve network performance by the end of the year will face regulatory sanctions.
“We are not dealing in sentiments; we are dealing in engineering,” he said. “If you have infrastructure in place but your service is poor, we must begin to take regulatory action.”
The warning follows a National Communications Authority (NCA) report on 48 localities across Ghana, which highlighted widespread inconsistencies in service quality.
Even in economically significant areas like East Legon and Amasaman, users experience call drops, poor data speeds, and network blackouts.
By June 30, telcos must accept the newly allocated spectrum—resources the minister insists should result in visible improvements before December.
Fines, if imposed, will not stay with regulators; 40 percent will go back to customers as compensation, either through bonus data or call time.
“We know you can’t complete upgrades in three months, but we must see that the process has begun,” Mr. George stressed. “The Ghanaian people must feel the impact of the spectrum rollout by the end of this year.”
In response, MTN Ghana revealed plans to invest $230 million this year, with an internal GH¢25 million budget set aside to recruit frontline staff and expand service centers.
Telecel, for its part, is ramping up shop expansion and continuing network optimization. AT’s CEO promised visible improvements by the first quarter of next year, urging the public to judge the changes for themselves.
