• Ghana’s new National Communications Authority (NCA) board, led by Mavis Araba Ampaa, has made the deployment of 5G a national priority.
• The Next-Gen InfraCo (NGIC), which holds an exclusive 10-year 5G license, must launch commercial service by Q4 2025, or face a license review.
• Ghana’s digital economy could add 40 billion cedis ($3.27 billion) by 2029, according to GSMA, while the 5G rollout cost is estimated at $3–8 billion, Ericsson data shows.

Ghana’s government has installed a new board at the National Communications Authority (NCA) and tasked it with accelerating the country’s digital transformation, including the long-delayed deployment of 5G services.

Samuel Nartey George, Minister of Communications and Digitalization, inaugurated the new board last week. He urged Chairperson Mavis Araba Ampaa and eight other members to restore Ghana’s leadership in Africa’s telecom market by driving efficiency, service quality, and user experience.

“We are finalizing a new electronic communications law that will redefine Ghana’s digital landscape,” the minister said in a statement on October 10. “You are taking office at a crucial time to help us complete this transition and prepare the country for 5G adoption.”

George expressed concern over the repeated delays in the commercial rollout of 5G and instructed the board to prioritize spectrum management and network performance.

Ghana remains without commercial 5G, despite adopting a neutral shared network model instead of traditional spectrum auctions. Authorities say the model aims to ensure nationwide 5G access, including in rural areas.

The government launched Next-Gen InfraCo (NGIC) in May 2024, granting it an exclusive 10-year 5G operating license. However, the company has missed several launch deadlines — initially set for September, then December 2024, later moved to January, May, and June 2025.

The government has now set Q4 2025 as the final deadline. The minister warned that no further extensions will be allowed and that the government would review or renegotiate NGIC’s license if the target is missed.

Analysts see the 5G rollout as crucial to Ghana’s broader digital economy. A 2021 Dell Technologies study found that 5G delivers data speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G and enables real-time connectivity across industries.

The GSMA estimates that digitalization could generate 40 billion cedis ($3.27 billion) in added economic value for Ghana by 2029. However, the cost of nationwide deployment remains high. According to a 2022 Ericsson report, the base cost of 5G rollout ranges between $3 billion and $8 billion, with an additional 20–35% investment required to expand network coverage nationwide.

This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum