Minister for Communications, Digitalisation, and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George has vowed to impose financial penalties on Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) that fail to meet service quality standards before the end of the year.

Speaking at a high-level meeting on Friday, May 30, he said, "If you have infrastructure in place but your service is poor, we must begin to take regulatory action."

He further emphasised "We are not doing sentiments. We are doing engineering."

Friday's meeting allowed the sector minister to engage with the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and technical teams of MTN, Telecel, and AT.

According to Mr George, 40 percent of the fines imposed on telecom companies that fail to provide quality services will be used to provide data or call-time bonuses to affected customers.

A nationwide service quality test, covering all district capitals, is expected to be conducted by the NCA in the third quarter of 2025. Based on its findings, the government will take “decisive action” if no significant improvements are seen.

With regard to the spectrum rollout, the minister noted that "the Ghanaian people must feel the impact by the end of this year."

“We know you can’t complete upgrades in three months, but we must see that the process has begun," he added, providing a short-term deadline of June 30.

On their part, the executives of the telcos provided their strategies and investments made so far to provide quality services.

MTN Ghana CEO Stephen Blewett revealed that the company had invested $230 million in 2024 to strengthen its network and IT systems.

Plans include launching 300 new franchise outlets, hiring 400 new staff, and rolling out secure self-service tools for SIM swaps and PIN resets.

Telecel Ghana COO Mohamad Ghaddar revealed that the company has over 400 retail shops, and there are ongoing plans to add 100 more. He also noted the company's commitment to supporting customers with special needs and welcomed regulatory engagement.

AT CEO Leo Skarlatos said significant network upgrades are underway, and by the first quarter of 2026, customers will begin to observe the impact.

Mr Samuel Nartey George initially made known plans to sanction telcos during his vetting before the Appointments Committee on Thursday, January 30.

"I will not be a minister who’ll be afraid to impose a fine when MNOs fail to provide the quality of services required, as well as we support them in doing so," he asserted.

Sam George stressed that while the government would collaborate with network providers to enhance their infrastructure, there would be no tolerance for poor service delivery.

He reaffirmed his resolve to hold telecom firms accountable while also fostering an ecosystem that encourages technological progress and innovation in Ghana’s digital space.