Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has outlined several immediate and long-term initiatives aimed at bolstering the nation’s digital infrastructure in response to the internet disruptions that have plagued Ghana since the early hours of March 14, 2024.
According to the Minister, the government is considering licensing additional satellite services like Oneweb and Starlink, mandating Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to establish alternative routes for internet connectivity, and promoting the localization of internet caches through the Ghana Internet Exchange (GIX).
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful disclosed these in a detailed statement she presented to Parliament on Monday on the severity of the internet disruptions.
She underscored the importance of satellite services as an interim solution and the development of a Satellite Licensing Framework to facilitate more connectivity options for Ghanaians.
The country, along with several others in West Africa, has been suffering from significant internet service interruptions due to damage to multiple undersea cables, a crucial component of global internet connectivity.
The disruptions, attributed to external incidents including a possible landslide and a separate event in the Red Sea, have affected major network operators MTN and Telecel, leading to widespread concern among citizens and businesses reliant on the internet for daily operations.
The Minister revealed that while the Google/Equiano and Angola to Brazil cables remain unaffected, they cannot compensate for the lost capacity as Ghana is not connected to their services, leaving the nation in a challenging position.
According to her, the National Communications Authority (NCA) has been proactive in mitigating risks associated with the disruptions by ensuring MNOs and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have redundancy plans in place.
She, however, indicated the scale of the current outage has necessitated extraordinary measures to restore connectivity and prevent future incidents.
“Our focus is on not just restoring services but ensuring our national infrastructure is more resilient than ever.”
“The licensing of satellite gateway earth stations and the encouragement of content hosting within local data centres are steps towards a more stable and robust digital ecosystem for Ghana,” the Minister said.
The government’s response to the crisis has been met with cautious optimism, with the promise of increased redundancy and capacity through the forthcoming operation of the Facebook/2Africa cable later this year, which boasts a capacity of 180 Terabits per second.
The Communications Minister assured the government’s continued efforts to improve connectivity and commitment to safeguarding Ghana’s adoption of digital solutions and ensuring universal access to connectivity.