Telecom industry worst hit by galamsey – Sam George

The Minister for Communications, Sam Nartey George, has described the telecommunications industry as one of the sectors worst affected by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

Speaking on Monday during his turn of the Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House, Sam George said galamsey activities were causing significant damage to telecommunications infrastructure across the country.

He explained that illegal miners often enter areas where telecom infrastructure is located, excavate the land and cut through installations without notifying network operators.

“The telecom industry is one of the worst hit by the activities of galamsey operators because they just go in, they dig, they cut,” he said.

“Even with the road contractors, you are lucky because they may report it to you. Galamsey operators, they won’t report anything to you,” he added.

Sam George said the situation presents a major challenge to the telecommunications sector, noting that operators are often left unaware when infrastructure is damaged by illegal miners.

He further noted that private developers and individuals undertaking various projects account for 26% of damage to telecommunications infrastructure.

The Minister identified unreliable electricity supply as another major challenge affecting the quality and reliability of telecom services.

He explained that telecom infrastructure relies heavily on cell sites, which are primarily powered by the national grid, with batteries and generators serving as backup sources.

Sam George cited the Akosombo fire incident, which he said affected the national grid and knocked out close to 60% of the country’s power capacity.

He also highlighted the impact of the Greater Accra floods, which damaged generators at several cell sites after they were submerged in water.

“The generators were also submerged in water. So it then meant that there’ll be a deprivation of service,” he said.

According to him, restoring affected sites after such incidents requires significant additional investment, including replacing damaged generators.

“There’s a lot more to this than people understand,” Sam George said.