Telecommunication companies in the country are incurring additional huge operational costs as galamsey operators are digging and cutting their fibre optic cable in search of gold in the Western Region.
The illegal miners, especially in the northern part of the region, are also said to be invading the cell sites of the companies and stealing fuel and batteries meant to serve as back-up for the facilities to ensure uninterrupted service to the public.
Illegal mining in the region has created huge problems for water supply, degrading the environment, polluting surface and underground waters and now destroying the multi-million dollar fibre optic cables of telecoms companies.
Speaking at a regional editors forum and a meeting with the  Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) regional executive members in Takoradi, Mr Teddy Acquah-Hayford, the Regional Technical Manager of MTN, Ghana, said the development was making the operations of the company difficult.
He said hitherto road constructions were the main reason for the disruption in its operations, but galamsey activities, especially in the northern part of the Western Region, had emerged strongly as one of its contributory factors.
The  disruptions in service, which he said was always attended to immediately,  creates social discomfort, as vital calls that can save lives cannot go through.
Mrs Cynthia Lumor, Corporate Services Executive of MTN, said the company was committed to delivering the best quality of service to its clients as it worked to increase its market share.
In her presentation, she took the media through various aspects of the company’s operations  and said it would continue to invest in its operations for better service.
Story: Moses Dotsey Aklorbortu
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