Ghana and Burkina Faso have begun a bilateral meeting to address persistent cross-border signal interference affecting mobile network users along their shared border. The talks, held virtually on 19 August, brought together the National Communications Authority (NCA) of Ghana, Burkina Faso’s Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques et des Postes (ARCEP), and mobile network operators from both countries.
The discussions aim to finalise a frequency coordination agreement that will establish minimum signal strength thresholds and ensure compliance by operators on both sides of the border. The initiative follows growing complaints from consumers about service disruptions caused by overlapping signals.
According to NCA Acting Director General Rev Ing Edmund Fianko, Ghana has already signed a similar frequency agreement with Togo and expects this arrangement with Burkina Faso to bring much-needed relief to affected border communities.
The bilateral meeting also reviewed findings from joint spectrum monitoring exercises conducted between October and December 2024 along the border. These results will inform the technical framework of the new agreement.
This development comes amid a broader push across Africa to address cross-border interference. Earlier this month, regulators in Congo-Brazzaville and Angola signed a cooperative framework on spectrum management to reduce interference issues along their 231-kilometre border.
