Government Eyes 60% Reduction In Fibre Rollout Costs Under New Dig Once Policy

WRITTEN BY JOSHUA NARH 

Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has disclosed that the proposed Dig Once policy could reduce the cost of fibre infrastructure rollout in Ghana by nearly 60 percent as authorities move to address the growing problem of fibre cuts and accelerate digital expansion across the country. 

The Minister disclosed this while speaking at the 15th anniversary soft launch of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications in Accra. 

According to him, the policy will require contractors working on new roads under the government’s Big Push infrastructure programme to include fibre chambers as part of road designs to allow telecom operators to lay fibre cables without carrying out separate excavations. 

The Dig Once policy could, by some estimates, reduce the cost of rolling out fibre in Ghana by almost 60 percent,” the minister stated. 

He explained that telecom companies and road contractors currently undertake separate excavation works, leading to duplicated costs, frequent fibre cuts and disruptions in network services.

Under the proposed arrangement, telecom operators would only need to secure right-of-way access and deploy fibre cables through already constructed underground chambers. 

The policy proposal comes at a time when the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications says fibre cuts across the country have risen sharply from about 400 incidents annually in earlier years to more than 8,000 each year. 

Industry data cited by the Chamber indicates that road construction and excavation activities account for about 60 percent of fibre cuts nationwide. Between 2021 and the third quarter of 2025, fibre repair costs were projected to reach about $69.3 million. 

The minister said his outfit has completed the draft framework for the policy after incorporating recommendations from the Ministry of Roads and Highways because of the initiative’s cross-sector impact. 

According to him, the final draft is expected to be submitted to Cabinet for approval, with the government targeting implementation by the third quarter of the year. 

The Minister argued that integrating fibre ducts into road construction projects would not only reduce infrastructure costs but also improve internet reliability, support nationwide broadband expansion and help lower data costs for consumers. 

The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications has also backed the initiative, describing it as a critical step toward protecting digital infrastructure and reducing repeated road excavations.