BY Daniel Bampoe
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Stephen Blewett, has identified persistent fibre cuts as a major threat to network stability, warning that the recurring disruptions continue to undermine service delivery and customer experience across the country.
Speaking at the CEO’s Corner session with broadcaster Bernard Avle during the MTN Ghana Accra Media and Stakeholder Forum, Blewett revealed that about 157 network sites were recently affected due to fibre damage.
He explained that the impact of such incidents goes far beyond isolated outages, often triggering widespread service disruptions because of the interconnected nature of MTN’s infrastructure.
“It’s not really just about cutting fibre to someone’s home,” he said. “When you cut fibre, you bring down all those sites, and that’s problematic. So the experience is bad, and we have to proactively manage that.”
According to him, unless urgent measures are taken to address the increasing cases of fibre cuts—often linked to construction activities and other external factors—the issue will remain a significant obstacle to delivering reliable telecom services nationwide.
No ‘Data Theft’
In a separate but related concern raised by customers, Blewett also dismissed widespread claims that MTN Ghana is responsible for the unexplained depletion of users’ data bundles.
Responding to growing public complaints, he insisted that the company has no incentive to manipulate or “steal” customer data, as such actions would erode trust and drive subscribers away.
“There’s zero incentive for MTN to steal data from you,” he stated. “Because it will just chase people away. It’s not something we do; it’s not part of our values.”
Instead, the CEO attributed the phenomenon to changing data consumption patterns, driven largely by modern smartphone usage.
He pointed to background app activity, automatic updates, and high-definition video streaming as key factors contributing to faster data usage.
Call For Customer Awareness
Blewett urged customers to take a more active role in managing their data consumption by monitoring app usage and adjusting device settings, such as limiting background activity and reducing video streaming quality where necessary.
He emphasized that improving customer experience will require both network improvements and user awareness, particularly as Ghana’s digital ecosystem continues to expand rapidly.
Broader Industry Concerns
Industry observers note that fibre cuts have become a persistent challenge in the telecom sector, affecting multiple operators and highlighting the need for stronger infrastructure protection and coordination between telecom companies and construction agencies.
At the same time, rising data consumption reflects increasing digital adoption, with more Ghanaians relying on mobile internet for work, entertainment, and financial transactions—placing additional pressure on network infrastructure.
