Ghana ends 5G exclusivity, MTN and Telecel to compete for licences
Ghana has ended its exclusive 5G arrangement and opened the licensing process to competition between MTN and Telecel. The shift marks a structural change in the country's telecommunications policy, moving from a single-operator model to a competitive 5G licensing framework. The development is expected to accelerate next-generation connectivity infrastructure across the country.
Ghana 5G: 49 sites tells you everything
Ghana's original 5G plan handed one company, Next Gen Infraco, the exclusive right to build the entire network. By March 2026, after years of work, it had deployed 49 sites against a government target of 1,200.
That number is the whole story. The monopoly model didn't lower costs or speed things up — it just stalled.
Now MTN Ghana and Telecel are both being invited to bid and build their own networks. For founders and businesses in Accra, the honest question is how quickly real coverage follows the policy shift. South Africa is above 60% population coverage; Ghana is starting from near zero. Competition should move faster than a single slow wholesaler — but the gap to close is enormous.
3 sources
- 👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – A central bank joins PAPSS · techcabal.com · T1
- New era for Ghana’s 5G as MTN, Telecel prepare to compete for licences · myjoyonline.com · T3
- Ghana opens 5G rollout to MTN and Telecel, ends exclusive model · techpoint.africa · T1