{
  "id": 14960055,
  "title": "Communications Minister announces 2,800-site telecom expansion during Volta visit",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/communications-minister-announces-2-800-site-telecom-expansion-during",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T12:49:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/communications-minister-announces-2800-site-telecom-expansion-during-volta-visit/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Communications Minister of Ghana, Samuel Nartey George, has unveiled plans to build 800 new cell sites and upgrade 2,000 existing ones across the nation within a year, during a visit to the Volta Region. The minister made the announcement during a visit to Akoefe Kpodzi, in the Ho Central Constituency, where he met with the Paramount Chief of Akoefe, Togbega Drake Tsigbe IV. The minister also toured a recently constructed Rural Telephony Project facility at Akoefe Gadza to evaluate the progress in extending telecommunications services to rural communities.\n\nMr. George emphasized that the 2,800-site expansion program marks a substantial increase in the country's telecommunications infrastructure compared to the growth seen over the past five years. The initiative encompasses the construction of new cell towers and upgrades to existing facilities operated by leading mobile network operators, such as MTN and Telecel. He further revealed that the release of additional network spectrum over the past two years surpasses the total amount allocated in the previous two decades. Spectrum refers to the radio-frequency capacity required for transmitting calls and data, and the expanded allocation is anticipated to enable faster internet speeds and improved network performance.\n\nThe minister praised traditional leaders and community members for their support of telecommunications projects across the region. He credited the efforts of Members of Parliament for prioritizing underserved communities through their advocacy. Minister George also highlighted that the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovations is coordinating the deployment of telecommunications cables with road construction projects to minimize service disruptions caused by fiber-optic cable cuts. He expressed confidence that these investments will result in more dependable mobile services, particularly in areas that have been overlooked.",
  "summary": "The government plans to construct 800 new cell sites and upgrade 2,000 existing ones nationwide within the year, the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey Georg, has announced during a two-day working visit to the Volta Region.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}