Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA) has launched a competitive bidding process for new 5G spectrum licenses, reversing an earlier exclusive wholesale arrangement backed by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries.
The NCA is accepting applications for spectrum across three frequency bands — 700 MHz, 2.3 GHz and 3 GHz — split into 11 lots valued at roughly $230 million in total, with minimum bids ranging from $10 million for the 2.3 GHz band to $36 million for the 700 MHz band. Submissions close August 6. MTN, Ghana’s dominant mobile operator, will be required to pay a 40% premium on its bid given its market position, while Telecel Group is also expected to compete alongside new entrants, including Ghanaian-owned firms that meet eligibility requirements.
The move follows the termination of an exclusive 10-year wholesale concession granted in May 2024 to Next Gen Infraco (NGIC), a venture that had partnered with Reliance subsidiary Radisys to build Ghana’s first 5G network, launched in March 2026. Regulators pulled the concession eight years ahead of its scheduled 2034 expiry after NGIC missed its rollout targets, having completed only 16 of a required 50 sites by its original June 2025 deadline, and roughly 49 of a longer-term target of 1,200 sites by 2027.
The policy shift is aimed at accelerating Ghana’s push toward 70% 5G population coverage by 2027 and positioning the country as a regional digital hub, with authorities citing increased competition as key to faster, more reliable rollout after the earlier single-operator model fell behind schedule.
