The government is targeting more than 70 per cent population coverage for fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks by March 2027 as it upgrades rural telephony sites and opens spectrum licensing to wider competition.
Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations Samuel Nartey George presented the plans in Doha, Qatar, during the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference in 2026.
He also discussed the rollout at the Africa Virtual Asset Summit in Accra. The 70 per cent 5G coverage target is timed to coincide with Ghana's 70th Independence Anniversary on March 6, 2027.
Addressing delegates in Doha, George said work is underway to complete 2,016 rural telephony sites across the country while upgrading existing 2G and 3G rural infrastructure into 4G and 5G-ready networks. The rural expansion is being carried out under President John Dramani Mahama's New Economy Policy.
He stressed that network deployment must translate into affordable, accessible connectivity that improves livelihoods across underserved communities.
To accelerate the rollout, Cabinet cleared the National Communications Authority (NCA) on July 15, 2026, to end the exclusive wholesale 5G licence previously granted to Next-Gen InfraCo Limited (NGIC).
NGIC received a 10-year wholesale licence in May 2024 to build a shared national 4G and 5G backbone. It missed its June 2025 target, completing only 16 of the initial 50 required sites in Accra and Kumasi.
The NCA's July 15 licence amendment leaves NGIC's spectrum assignment and operating rights intact. The authority acted under section 14 of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775).
Mobile network operators such as MTN Ghana, Telecel and AT Ghana can now bid for 3.5GHz and 26GHz spectrum to build their own 5G infrastructure.
At the Accra summit, George said the expanded 5G network would complement a planned national artificial intelligence computing centre and the Ghana Cloud platform.
He said these would support public institutions, financial services and digital innovation within the framework of the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2025 (Act 1154).
He urged local technology entrepreneurs to design products for next-generation networks rather than outdated infrastructure as Ghana expands its digital economy. "We did not do this to slow down innovation, but innovation must be safe, interoperable and acceptable to the citizen," he said.
Source: https://3news.com/telecom/ghana-5g-coverage-70-percent-march-2027
