Telecomms

Ghana opens 5G market as MTN, Telecel prepare to bid for licences

Ghana has opened its 5G market after ending the exclusive rights previously granted to Next-Gen InfraCo (NGIC) to build and operate the wholesale 5G network of the country. The policy shift paves the way for major telecommunications operators, including MTN Ghana and Telecel Ghana, to compete for 5G licences as the government seeks to accelerate nationwide network deployment. According to Bloomberg, MTN Ghana Chief Executive Officer Stephen Blewett and Telecel Group CEO Moh Damush said that the licensing auction is expected to commence within weeks. The move will also allow state-owned AT Ghana and other qualified operators to acquire spectrum and deploy their own 5G infrastructure. Ghana adopted the wholesale 5G model to speed up deployment, reduce infrastructure costs and minimise duplication by enabling multiple telecom operators to share a single network. The country’s first 5G network was launched in March 2026 under the model, with NGIC leading deployment while Radisys, a subsidiary of India’s Reliance Industries, supplied the network infrastructure. However, the government terminated NGIC’s 10-year exclusive licence after the company failed to meet agreed deployment milestones. Although commercial rollout was initially scheduled for June 2025, NGIC reportedly completed only 16 of the required 50 sites across Accra and Kumasi, prompting authorities to review the arrangement. The government had earlier extended the deployment deadline to December 2025 and warned that the agreement could be renegotiated if rollout targets were not achieved. Meanwhile, the government plans to auction spectrum in the 3.5GHz and 26GHz bands before the end of 2026 to encourage greater investment and competition. Speaking during a stakeholder consultation earlier this year, Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, said spectrum allocation would prioritise operators with credible rollout plans, particularly those capable of extending high-speed connectivity to underserved and rural communities.

July 10, 2026
byAminu Umar Turaki

Ghana has opened its 5G market after ending the exclusive rights previously granted to Next-Gen InfraCo (NGIC) to build and operate the wholesale 5G network of the country.

The policy shift paves the way for major telecommunications operators, including MTN Ghana and Telecel Ghana, to compete for 5G licences as the government seeks to accelerate nationwide network deployment.

According to Bloomberg, MTN Ghana Chief Executive Officer Stephen Blewett and Telecel Group CEO Moh Damush said that the licensing auction is expected to commence within weeks.

The move will also allow state-owned AT Ghana and other qualified operators to acquire spectrum and deploy their own 5G infrastructure.

Ghana adopted the wholesale 5G model to speed up deployment, reduce infrastructure costs and minimise duplication by enabling multiple telecom operators to share a single network.

The country’s first 5G network was launched in March 2026 under the model, with NGIC leading deployment while Radisys, a subsidiary of India’s Reliance Industries, supplied the network infrastructure.

However, the government terminated NGIC’s 10-year exclusive licence after the company failed to meet agreed deployment milestones.

*Sam George (Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations)*

Although commercial rollout was initially scheduled for June 2025, NGIC reportedly completed only 16 of the required 50 sites across Accra and Kumasi, prompting authorities to review the arrangement.

The government had earlier extended the deployment deadline to December 2025 and warned that the agreement could be renegotiated if rollout targets were not achieved.

Meanwhile, the government plans to auction spectrum in the 3.5GHz and 26GHz bands before the end of 2026 to encourage greater investment and competition.

Speaking during a stakeholder consultation earlier this year, Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, said spectrum allocation would prioritise operators with credible rollout plans, particularly those capable of extending high-speed connectivity to underserved and rural communities.