MTN Ghana suffered nine hundred and thirty-nine (939) incidents of fibre cable cuts between January to May 2022, an increment of 14.65% compared to 819 cuts recorded same period last year.
The telecom giant experienced a monthly average of 11% traffic affected cuts during the first quarter of this year.
The fibre cuts are mostly committed during road construction and other road-related activities which constitutes 31%, and private developments which account for 22% of cuts.
Eastern Region is leading the highest fibre cut incidents with 145 cases as of May ending this year as a result of the ongoing construction of Koforidua to Adukrom to Somanya highway.
The telecommunication company sinks huge amounts of money into fixing cut fibre cables. It cost the company an average of Ghc7,000 to fix one cut, with its implications affecting revenue and quality of service.
In 2019 for instance, the menace caused the company GH¢39 million in revenue losses and also cost the nation GH¢17,580,000 in lost taxes.
Speaking during stakeholders’ engagement in Koforidua, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana Mobile Financial Services, Mr. Eli Hini said the company continues to engage stakeholders, particularly those in the construction sector for effective collaboration on possible ways to reduce the incidence of fibre cable cuts.
He said MTN is, however, investing one billion dollars into its infrastructural expansion by 2025 to maintain network leadership.
The expansion includes the deployment of 35.2Km in 2022.Seven(7) communities in the Eastern region; Kwahu Prado, Teacher Mante, Nkwanteng, Akim Aperade, Apirade, Kibi, and Akim Sekyere to benefit from the company’s metro fibre project infrastructure this year.
The 2022 Capex spend is $220 million. It has introduced 15 micro-apps of which the majority were built by local developers whilst 306 touch points were built to improve customer experience in communities.
Mr Eli Hini said through MTN Foundation, the company invested ghc64 million cedis in 157 sustainable projects all completed as part of its corporate social responsibility.
He said the foundation has re-aligned its focus areas to digitization support to improve economic empowerment, quality healthcare and education and create opportunities in the digital ecosystem.
Mr Hini revealed the company has also made a Ghc3.1 billion contribution to national revenue.
