Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communication and Digitalisation in Ghana, has announced that telecom company MTN will be involved in the government’s 5G rollout plans in Ghana. This update comes after concerns were raised about MTN’s exclusion from the Next-Gen Infrastructure Company (NGIC), which has been granted the 5G license. NGIC, consisting of seven partners, aims to launch 5G services across Ghana in the next six months.
Addressing the issue on Accra-based Citi FM on Monday, June 24, Minister Owusu-Ekuful emphasized that discussions are ongoing, and MTN will be included in the project. She stated, “All network operators in the country are being offered the opportunity to take up equity in this Next-Gen InfraCo, all of them, including MTN.”
She urged the public to disregard claims that MTN Ghana was deliberately excluded by the government, noting, “I don’t know who created that impression. Somebody threw it out there, and nobody spoke to me or any of those involved in putting this consortium together before spreading this false alarm. It is not true.”
NGIC will be the first entity to build a nationwide 4G/5G network in Ghana, collaborating with telcos to introduce affordable 4G/5G-enabled fixed wireless access (FWA) customer premises equipment (CPE) and smartphones this year. This initiative aims to enhance digital services in education, healthcare, and digital payments, thereby reducing the digital divide and promoting financial inclusion.
NGIC plans to adopt India’s successful model of affordable handsets, digital platforms, and localized content, aiming to replicate this high-speed mobile data model across Africa, starting with Ghana.
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