The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications says the government’s newly approved “Dig once policy” directive will revolutionise digitalisation in Ghana and save the industry millions of dollars spent on repairing fibre cuts.
The Chamber notes that these savings can be redirected into improving network quality and expanding connectivity to communities that have long been cut off due to frequent disruptions.
This comes after Cabinet gave the green light to a major digital infrastructure reform requiring fibre-optic ducts and access chambers to be integrated into all new road construction projects nationwide.
According to the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, fibre-cut disruptions have cost the industry an estimated $69 million in repairs between 2021 and the third quarter of 2025.
With road construction identified as a major driver of these cuts and government advancing its Big Push road infrastructure programme, the Chamber says the Dig Once Policy is timely.
It believes key projects under the initiative, including the Accra–Kumasi Expressway, should fully incorporate the policy to protect critical fibre infrastructure.
“The Dig Once Policy comes at a very pivotal time. We have heard the Minister for Finance make his budget speech and there is such a big focus for road transformation under the Big Push. The Accra-Kumasi Highway is one that excites every Ghanaian if we can make that a reality. Imagine that this new policy directive with cabinet approval is one that we take seriously as a country where we incorporate the ducts and across the length and breadth of Ghana, we have a dedicated fibre duct that ensures we have a stable connectivity across the length and breadth of our country.”
“It is one that is going to revolutionize digitalization in the Ghana. It is going to really bring on board a lot of communities that have been lost over the time in terms of coverage footprint,” Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah, said in an interview with Citi Business News.
Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah also called for swift implementation and strict enforcement of the Dig Once Policy to safeguard network investments and minimize future disruptions.
“As much as we are excited that is where the work really starts. To ensure that the key players [like] the Minister for Roads and Highways makes it a directive to all contractors. It should be mandatory that every contractor who is given a road project is aware of this national policy and ensures that the ducts are provided in the designs of these new roads,” she added.
