National 5G launch in Ghana to be unified, no operator will get early advantage

The Ghanaian government has outlined a firm policy direction ensuring that all telecommunications operators launch fifth-generation (5G) services simultaneously, preventing any single player from gaining a competitive head start.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, emphasized that the administration is committed to a coordinated national rollout.

“I have been clear in my policy direction to the regulator. One network will not roll out 5G. All networks will roll out 5G on the same day,” Mr. George stated. “We will have a national launch that will carry everybody.”

The Minister explained that the strategy is designed to ensure a level playing field within the telecommunications market. To achieve this, the upcoming spectrum auction by the National Communications Authority (NCA) will include licensing conditions that mandate a national roaming framework.

Under this model, any operator that secures a spectrum licence will be required to grant other operators access to its 5G infrastructure at cost price for a stipulated period. This measure aims to prevent market dominance while allowing competitors time to condition their own networks.

“If telecom company ‘A’ gets the licence and telecom company ‘B’ doesn’t, company ‘A’ will have to allow company ‘B’ to roam on its 5G sites at a cost price until they can condition their network,” Mr. George clarified.

The Minister’s remarks come in the wake of recent assertions by Next-Gen Infraco (NGIC) that it had received regulatory confirmation to begin commercial wholesale 4G and 5G operations. Mr. George dismissed these claims as misleading, arguing that the firm’s current infrastructure footprint falls significantly short of a credible nationwide deployment.

“In Greater Accra alone, we have over 1,600 cell sites. So if someone has about 43 sites and says they have rolled out in Greater Accra, or two cell sites in the Ashanti Region and says they have rolled out 5G, how is that a rollout?” he questioned.

He further disclosed that the company is in default of certain licensing obligations, including outstanding payments to the regulator since September of the previous year. According to the Minister, the NCA has formally notified the company of the breach as engagements with industry stakeholders continue regarding the national roaming framework.

Beyond the 5G rollout, the government is advancing regulatory reforms aimed at stimulating investment and infrastructure expansion. Mr. George noted that recent policy shifts, including technology neutrality and revised quality-of-service benchmarks, have already spurred major operators such as MTN Ghana and Telecel Ghana to accelerate their network expansion plans, with hundreds of new cell sites expected this year.

The Minister emphasized that these reforms reflect a broader governmental strategy to reposition the regulator from strict enforcement to a role that actively fosters innovation and growth within Ghana’s digital economy.