Stephen Blewett, CEO of MTN Ghana.
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Stephen Blewett, has raised concerns about the escalating crisis of fibre-optic cable cuts, describing it as a primary operational hurdle that is actively degrading the digital lives of millions of Ghanaians.
Addressing the audience at the MTN Ghana Accra Media and Stakeholder Forum on Friday, 17th April 2026, Mr Blewett used the ‘CEO’s Corner’ session to lay bare the sheer scale of the damage.
He revealed that a recent wave of disruptions had effectively knocked 157 network sites offline, causing widespread connectivity failures.
“It’s not really just talking about cutting fibre to someone’s home. When you cut fibre, you bring down all those sites, and that’s problematic. So the experience is bad. So we have to proactively manage that,” Mr Blewett stated.
While many consumers assume a fibre cut only affects the immediate vicinity of the break, the MTN boss explained that the architecture of modern telecommunications means the damage is rarely localised.
Because these cables act as the nervous system connecting multiple cell towers (sites) to the core network, a single puncture from a backhoe or an act of theft can trigger a massive blackout across multiple suburbs.
The Crisis of Reliability
The recurring nature of these cuts continues to undermine MTN’s multi-million-dollar investments in network stability. Despite the deployment of advanced 4G and 5G infrastructure, the physical vulnerability of the cables, often buried along major roads currently undergoing expansion, remains a “serious threat” to seamless service.
Fibre cuts in Ghana are primarily driven by two factors: uncoordinated road construction activities and deliberate sabotage or theft.
Mr Blewett emphasised that the resulting network downtime is not just an inconvenience for social media users but a critical blow to businesses, hospitals, and emergency services that rely on 24/7 connectivity.
The CEO’s remarks signal a move toward more aggressive and proactive management of the fibre network. MTN has previously called for fibre-optic cables to be classified as “Critical National Infrastructure,” which would carry stiffer legal penalties for those who damage them.
As the government pushes its “Digital Ghana” agenda, the Authority and stakeholders are being urged to harmonise construction schedules to prevent what has become a “perennial headache” for the telecommunications giant.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com