The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications has announced a significant expansion in mobile data usage over the past decade, with data subscriptions increasing from eight million to 23 million between 2011 and August 2021.
Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, said the growth represents an increase of more than 187 per cent since the organisation was established. He added that mobile voice penetration in Ghana currently exceeds 132 per cent.
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Speaking at the launch of the Chamber’s 10th anniversary celebrations in Accra, Dr Ashigbey attributed the sector’s growth to the collaborative efforts of successive governments, regulatory agencies and industry stakeholders.
He noted that financial inclusion had also improved significantly through mobile money services, with total registered mobile money accounts reaching 47.3 million.
Dr Ashigbey said the Chamber was working with stakeholders to expand fourth-generation (4G) network coverage across the country as part of efforts to support Ghana’s digital transformation agenda.
He disclosed that revised telecommunications tower deployment guidelines had been submitted to the Minister for Communications for approval and urged the ministry to expedite the process to facilitate the construction of additional telecommunications infrastructure.
The Chamber’s Chief Executive also expressed concern over the persistent destruction of fibre optic cables, revealing that about 3,000 fibre cuts were recorded in the previous year, with more than US$6 million spent on repairs.
He cited the Obuasi-Kumasi road expansion project as one example where fibre infrastructure mounted above ground was damaged during vegetation clearing, disrupting telecommunications services.
According to Dr Ashigbey, such incidents negatively affect service quality, business operations and national security, while also threatening Ghana’s position as a regional fibre connectivity hub for neighbouring countries.
He said the establishment of the National Engineering Coordinating Team, made up of industry experts and technical professionals, had helped improve coordination and reduce infrastructure-related challenges.
The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications was established in November 2011 by leading telecommunications operators including Kasapa, MTN, Vodafone, Tigo and Zain. The Chamber later expanded its membership to include tower companies such as ATC Ghana, Helios and Eaton in 2014, while Huawei, Comsys and CSquared joined in 2019.
The Chamber currently has eight members and is marking its 10th anniversary with year-long commemorative activities.
