National Communications Authority has awarded 5G spectrum licences to Telecel Group and MTN’s local unit, ending the exclusive wholesale-network model previously used for the country’s 5G rollout.
Under the new arrangement, Telecel and MTN will build and operate their own independent 5G networks, replacing the model under which Next-Gen Infrastructure Company (NGIC) held exclusive rights to provide the wholesale infrastructure.
Telecel Chief Executive Officer, Moh Damush, told Bloomberg that the company plans to launch its 5G service in December this year using its own network.
The new licensing model follows the government’s cancellation of NGIC’s concession, which was originally scheduled to run until 2034. The government subsequently moved to direct competitive bidding for 5G spectrum licences.
NGIC was a joint venture involving Reliance Industries’ Radisys unit, Tech Mahindra, Nokia and the Ghanaian government, alongside local partners Telecel and AT Ghana.
The venture had sought to replicate India’s low-cost mobile data model by enabling operators to share network infrastructure. However, rollout delays prevented NGIC from meeting its targets.
Under the new model, established operators will be able to use their existing network footprints to expand 5G coverage.
Ghana had 49 operational 5G sites earlier this year, against a target of 1,200 sites by 2027.
A filing on the Accra bourse showed that MTN secured two lots of 700MHz spectrum and three lots in the 3GHz band. Each 15-year licence was priced at about $100 million.
The awarding of the licences marks a shift from the previous wholesale infrastructure approach to direct network development by individual operators.
