The Minister for Communication, Innovations, and Digital Technologies, Sam Nartey George, has announced that the government will open Ghana’s 5G spectrum to competitive bidding, ending the exclusivity currently held by a single licensee.
At present, only Next-Gen Infrastructure Company (NGIC) operates as Ghana’s shared neutral infrastructure provider for 4G and 5G networks. The minister’s announcement will allow other telecommunications companies to access the 5G spectrum and offer services to their customers.
Speaking on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at the launch of the National Communications Authority’s (NCA) 30th anniversary, Sam George said the move aims to democratise access to 5G technology and expand network rollout nationwide.
“At the last Cabinet meeting, the government took a bold step to democratise Ghana’s deployment of 5G technology. The decision has been taken to remove the current exclusivity mandate for the sole license holder and offer spectrum resources to the market through a national competitive bidding process, enabling network rollout of 5G technology,” he stated.
He clarified that the move does not cancel the existing wholesale model but “provides multiple options for our market players.”
The Minister added that the NCA will receive formal directives from the ministry in the coming days to begin the spectrum auction within the next few weeks.
The decision is expected to increase competition, improve service delivery, and accelerate the adoption of 5G services in Ghana.
