Sam George Issues Ultimatum to Telcos: Boost Service Quality by Year-End or Pay the Price

Accra, Ghana - 01 June, 2025 - Ghana's Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has issued a stern warning to the country's major mobile network operators, MTN, Telecel, and AT, to significantly improve the quality of their services by December 31, 2025.

According to George, failure to comply will result in severe financial penalties, with 40% of the fines going directly to affected customers. The ultimatum came after a high-level meeting where the minister criticized the persistent poor service experienced by subscribers despite significant infrastructure investments.

“We are not doing sentiments. We are doing engineering,” Sam George said, adding “If you have infrastructure in place but your service is poor, we must begin to take regulatory action.”

The National Communications Authority (NCA) presented a performance assessment report, which highlighted worrying inconsistencies in network performance across all three operators. The study measured key performance indicators such as 3G coverage, call setup time, call quality, and 3G data throughput in 48 localities across the country.

The minister cited problematic areas such as Amasaman and East Legon, where service quality has dropped despite wider network coverage.

The minister's directive marks a bold new phase of regulatory oversight, aimed at ensuring that telcos deliver reliable, high-quality services that meet the demands of Ghana's growing digital economy. In the short term, operators have until June 30, 2025, to complete the acceptance process for newly allocated spectrum and begin deploying it immediately.

According to George, the government will conduct a nationwide service quality test in the third quarter of 2025, and based on its findings, will take decisive action if no significant improvements are seen.

“We know you can’t complete upgrades in three months, but we must see that the process has begun. The Ghanaian people must feel the impact of the spectrum rollout by the end of this year,” Sam George said.

The telecom executives responded by outlining their strategies to address service quality concerns. MTN Ghana CEO Stephen Blewett revealed that the company had invested $230 million in 2024 to strengthen its network and IT systems. Telecel Ghana COO Mohamad Ghaddar emphasized continuous network optimization and customer service improvements, while AT CEO Leo Skarlatos said significant network upgrades are underway and should be visible by the first quarter of 2026.

The minister also touched on data pricing, noting a committee established to develop a plan for gradually lowering data costs, prioritizing value-added services over immediate price cuts to maintain market stability and support ongoing infrastructure investments.

Source: Lead News Online