Ghana is giving 5G one more push. Minister of Communication and Digital Technology, Sam George, has declared June 2025 as the firm deadline for the country’s long-anticipated 5G rollout. Speaking on The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Channel 1 TV, he said the Next Generation Infrastructure Company (NGIC) must deliver by mid-year or risk facing a regulatory shake-up.
George explained that NGIC initially gave a May 2025 target during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. However, when plans were revisited in Ghana, the deadline shifted to June. “They initially told me May at MWC in Barcelona. Subsequently, in Ghana, they said June, and I told them I would hold them until the June deadline,” he stated. Though he showed willingness to renegotiate, George made it clear that failure to meet the timeline could trigger licensing changes.
5G for Industry, Not Just Entertainment
The Minister also challenged popular misconceptions about 5G. Rather than enhancing video downloads or mobile browsing for everyday users, George stressed that its true value lies in industrial applications. “As we speak today, 5G does not have a consumer market case; 5G is industry specific,” he noted. Use cases such as telemedicine, smart ports, and mining operations are expected to drive real commercial benefits.
Despite this industrial promise, Ghana’s 5G journey has been riddled with delays. From the initial target of December 2024, deadlines have slid — first to January 2025, and now June. NGIC has so far built 16 5G-ready cell sites, but the expectations are much higher. By June, the company is supposed to hit 350 sites, with 50 of them ready for 5G. Around 200–250 of those are planned for Accra, while Kumasi is set to receive between 100 and 150.
Mixed Signals in Mobile Network Readiness
Ghana’s mobile ecosystem shows a mixed readiness for the 5G shift. According to research firm Omdia, MTN Ghana had around 8.2 million 4G users out of its 29 million subscriber base by the end of 2024. Telecel Ghana lagged behind, with only 445,000 out of 6.5 million subscribers using 4G. Meanwhile, most users on AT Ghana and Glo Mobile were still operating on 3G networks.
The country’s unique approach to deployment, announced in August 2023, involves bypassing traditional spectrum auctions. Instead, Ghana opted to create a neutral infrastructure company — NGIC — to manage and roll out both 4G and 5G services nationwide. The company pledged to collaborate with MTN, Airtel, and Telecel to bring 5G to Accra, Kumasi, and Takoradi.
While the core infrastructure has passed inspection by the National Communications Authority (NCA), concerns about telcos’ capacity purchases persist. Former Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful stated in January 2025 that actual service delivery depends on telecom providers acquiring and distributing the necessary network capabilities.
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