Ghana’s 5G market is changing after the National Communications Authority removed Next Gen Infraco’s exclusive right to provide wholesale 5G infrastructure, effective 15 July 2026. NGIC retained the rest of its licence, including its spectrum assignment. The change allows a competitive wholesale market to develop alongside the existing provider.
On 2 October, MTN Ghana disclosed an award notice covering two lots in the 700 MHz band and all three available lots in the 3 GHz band. The associated licence fees total US$202 million, with a proposed licence duration of 15 years. MTN said acquisition formalities and payment obligations were being finalised, with deployment to follow licence issuance. That disclosure establishes a significant allocation step; it does not establish completed payment or operating coverage from this award.
Reporting published by Data Center Dynamics on 7 October also described Telecel’s spectrum award and its intention to launch its own 5G network in December. That is a company target, with delivery still to be demonstrated.
The competitive baseline matters. NCA figures for June 2026 show that MTN held 80.10% of mobile-data subscriptions, compared with Telecel’s 15.90% and AT’s 4.00%. These measure subscriptions across mobile data services, rather than unique people or 5G adoption. They nevertheless show why opening infrastructure provision requires attention to the strength of competition customers actually experience.
Shared infrastructure can spread costs across providers. Separate investment can introduce alternatives and reduce dependence on one delivery programme. Ghana’s policy challenge is to preserve useful sharing while making investment, access and service obligations enforceable.
My view
I see a plausible improvement in Ghana’s delivery options, but a neutral welfare outlook remains appropriate. More spectrum and another route to deployment could help households and businesses. The decisive questions are who can afford the service, where it becomes available and whether smaller providers can compete. MTN’s existing subscription share makes that scrutiny especially important. A stronger assessment needs evidence of usable coverage, accessible prices and sustained Ghanaian technical and supplier capabilities.
What to watch
The next milestones are licence issuance, confirmation of the required payments and published deployment schedules. Operators should identify initial service areas, commissioned sites and coverage obligations, so progress can be checked against dated commitments. Telecel’s December target provides one near-term test.
Affordability should include the combined cost of service and compatible equipment. Compare recurring household costs, entry-level packages and measured reliability before and after deployment, with separate reporting for rural communities and lower-income users. Coverage maps should be tested against usable connections and actual uptake.
Local benefit also needs a delivery record: procurement awarded to Ghanaian suppliers, paid technical roles, training completed and responsibility transferred to local teams. Monitor infrastructure-sharing terms, smaller providers’ access, site power requirements and service resilience. These measures would help establish whether the new market structure supports durable productive capacity and wider access.