The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has disclosed that illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey, are responsible for about 25 percent of all fibre cuts recorded across Ghana.
According to the Minister, the activities of illegal miners have emerged as a significant threat to the country’s telecommunications infrastructure, disrupting fibre networks and contributing to network instability in various parts of the country.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, September 7, Sam George said while road construction and activities by private developers remain among the known causes of damage to fibre infrastructure, illegal mining has become an increasingly serious challenge to nationwide telecommunications services.
He explained that galamsey operators often damage underground fibre infrastructure in the course of their mining activities without reporting the incidents to telecommunications companies or the relevant authorities.
“25 percent of fibre cuts are a result of galamsey. The telecom industry is one of the worse hit by the activities of galamsey operators. They [galamsey operators] just go in and make cuts. Road contractors will often report fibre cuts but galamsey operators won’t report it and that is a real challenge to the sector.”
Fibre-optic networks form a critical part of Ghana’s telecommunications infrastructure, carrying large volumes of voice and data traffic and supporting internet connectivity for individuals, businesses and institutions.
Damage to these networks can therefore result in significant disruptions, particularly when there are no alternative routes available to immediately redirect traffic.
Frequent fibre cuts can also impose additional costs on telecommunications operators, who must deploy technical teams and equipment to locate damaged sections, repair cables and restore affected services.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
