• Next Gen Infraco has launched commercial operations of Ghana’s shared 5G network.

• The government has ended the company’s exclusivity and will auction spectrum to other operators.

• Authorities aim to reach 70% 5G coverage by March 2027, though services are not yet live.

Next Gen Infraco (NGIC), Ghana’s wholesale 4G/5G infrastructure operator, announced March 3 that it has begun commercial operations after receiving approval from the country’s telecom regulator. Mobile operators and internet service providers can now connect to its network, which is currently available in parts of Accra, Kumasi, Tamale and several other key areas, with nationwide expansion planned in stages.

"Today, Ghana moves from 5G ambition to 5G execution. The shared backbone is commercially active and positioned to scale," NGIC Chief Executive Officer Tenu Awoonor said in a statement. He added that the model allows the country to coordinate national infrastructure investment while preserving competition and innovation at the retail service level.

Launched in May 2024, NGIC was granted a ten-year exclusive license to deploy and operate a shared 5G infrastructure. But the commercial rollout, initially expected in June 2025, was delayed several times. Facing repeated setbacks, the government set a deadline of late December 2025, warning that the terms of the agreement could be renegotiated if the launch did not move forward.

By late February 2026, authorities announced they were withdrawing NGIC’s exclusivity and would instead make frequency resources available through a competitive national tender. Telecom operators interested in deploying their own 5G networks will be able to obtain spectrum and licenses independently of the shared national infrastructure.

The shift signals a hybrid strategy as the government pushes to expand 5G coverage to 70% of the population by March 2027, when Ghana will mark the 70th anniversary of its independence. NGIC’s next phase will focus on expanding its infrastructure nationwide, in line with its licensing obligations and the government’s coverage goals.

“Achieving 70% coverage within the Ghana @70 timeframe demands coordination and long-term discipline,” Awoonor said. “The shared architecture ensures investment is directed toward expanding reach rather than duplicating infrastructure.”

For now, however, the network’s launch does not yet mean consumers can access 5G services. No Ghanaian telecom operator has confirmed connecting to the NGIC network to offer commercial 5G service.

In a recent interview with local radio station Joy FM, Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko, director general of the National Communications Authority (NCA), said Ghanaians should begin gaining access to 5G services by the end of 2026.

Isaac K. Kassouwi