• Telecel Ghana to boost network investment by 150% in 2026

• Expansion targets capacity, reliability and future 5G readiness

• Move aims to compete with MTN dominance in mobile market

Telecel Ghana plans to increase its network investment by 150% in 2026 as it expands capacity to meet rising demand for mobile data and position itself for the next phase of digital infrastructure development in a market dominated by MTN.

The company’s chief executive, Patricia Obo-Nai, revealed the plans last week on Joy FM’s “Super Morning Show”, later reported by local media. She said the network was experiencing strong growth and increasing congestion due to rising data demand, adding that the company was expanding capacity by deploying additional sites on existing infrastructure.

The investments will focus on expanding network capacity, improving service reliability and preparing infrastructure for future technologies, including 5G. By the end of the 2025 financial year, the operator had increased its number of sites to about 9,000, up from around 5,000 previously. Obo-Nai said network expansion would remain central to Telecel’s strategy as telecoms operators increasingly position themselves as digital infrastructure providers supporting economic digitalization.

The announcement comes several months after the November 2025 launch of a $70 million network modernisation project in partnership with Huawei, aimed at improving performance and delivering next-generation digital services to both individual and business customers.

Working with Huawei, Telecel has already deployed more than 500 4G sites in Ghana within a year of taking control of the company. The operator aims to increase that number to 2,500 sites within three years and achieve near-universal mobile coverage, including via satellite. In April 2023, the company signed an agreement with Lynk Global to extend coverage using direct-to-device satellite technology.

Telecel Ghana said ongoing nationwide rollout would improve connectivity for subscribers, strengthening its competitive position.

Former Vodafone Ghana has lost market share in recent years to market leader MTN. Its share fell from 24.1% in June 2017 to 18.41% in February 2023, at the time of its acquisition by Telecel Group, before recovering to 20.17% at the end of December 2025. Despite this recovery, MTN still dominates the market, with 72.82% of the mobile subscriber base.

Telecel is not the only operator accelerating investment. MTN Group said in February it plans to invest about $1.1 billion over three years to strengthen infrastructure and improve service quality in Ghana.

Isaac K. Kassouwi