The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Sam George, has assured Ghanaians that government has taken emergency steps to safeguard over three million AirtelTigo (AT) subscribers after a mounting debt crisis forced ATC Ghana to disconnect power to AT’s telecom sites nationwide.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, September 5, 2025, Sam George provided a detailed background to the situation, linking it to Ghana’s controversial acquisition of AT in 2021.
“In 2021, following the exit of Bharti Airtel from Ghana, the Government of Ghana acquired the shares of AT for a token US$1 and agreed to protect jobs and ensure the continuity of AT,” he explained. “The propriety or otherwise of that decision is evident in the current state of affairs.”
The crisis escalated on September 1, 2025, when ATC Ghana, the company managing AT’s telecom towers, began disconnecting power to AT’s radio access networks across the country over unpaid debts now estimated at over $150 million.
To avert a nationwide shutdown, the National Communications Authority (NCA) directed AT and Telecel Ghana to immediately activate a national roaming agreement, allowing AT’s entire customer traffic to migrate onto Telecel’s network.
“To avoid a national crisis that could have affected over 3 million subscribers, the NCA directed AT and Telecel to establish a roaming agreement,” Sam George said. “It is important to note at this point that all of AT’s services — voice, SMS, data, and AT Money — remain intact.”
