en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Ghanaian government has abandoned the exclusive 5G license previously granted to Next Gen Infraco (NGIC), opting instead to auction 5G licenses to telecom operators. MTN Ghana and Telecel Ghana have confirmed their participation in the bidding, with the auction expected to begin in the coming weeks.

This decision means that Ghana's 5G deployment will replace the original exclusive licensing model with competition. According to data as of March 2026, NGIC has deployed only 49 5G sites, far below the government's target of 1,200 sites by 2027. Ghanaian officials believe that allowing operators to build and operate their own 5G networks will accelerate deployment, improve service quality, and attract more investment.

Ghana is one of the few major telecom markets in Africa that has yet to launch commercial 5G services. Countries such as South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria have been steadily expanding their 5G networks over the past few years. According to GSMA Intelligence data, if Ghana begins commercial deployment immediately, its 5G population coverage could reach approximately 7% by the end of 2026, compared to about 22% in Nigeria, 38% in Kenya, and over 60% in South Africa. Faster 5G networks are expected to unlock new opportunities in areas such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, fintech, manufacturing, and smart cities.

The previous government supported NGIC's wholesale model, aiming to reduce infrastructure costs and limit the further expansion of MTN, which already dominates the market. NGIC partnered with Radisys, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, to build the network. Sam George, who took office as Minister of Communications in 2025, criticized the slow deployment progress. In 2026, Ghana's communications regulator announced the cancellation of NGIC's exclusive license, paving the way for opening the market to competitive bidding.

For consumers, this change could bring faster high-speed mobile internet access and more robust competition among telecom operators. For MTN and Telecel, it offers an opportunity to directly shape Ghana's 5G future without relying on a third-party network. On a broader level, this decision reflects the willingness of African governments to reconsider digital infrastructure strategies when they fail, choosing competition over exclusivity in the race to build next-generation connectivity networks.