(Ecofin Agency) – Fifth generation (5G) mobile technology was launched in Ghana in November 2024. According to the government, this is a revolutionary leap forward that promises to redefine connectivity, productivity and quality of life in general in the country.
About two months after the official launch of 5G, Ghanaian consumers are yet to benefit from this latest generation mobile technology. During a broadcast on local television channel TV3, Ursula Owusu (photo), Minister of Communications and Digitization, explained that the marketing of the service now depends on telecom operators.
“People didn’t listen to us during the launch. This is wholesale infrastructure. We built it, and now it’s up to the telecom companies to buy capacity and provide it to their subscribers.”explained the minister.
Recall that for the deployment of 5G, Ghana opted for a shared neutral network instead of auctions as is generally done. This strategy is supposed to ensure that 5G is fully and quickly available nationwide, even in rural areas. In several African countries where the 5G or even 4G license has been awarded to telecom operators, the service has always been mainly concentrated in part of the capital and a few main secondary cities. In Ghana, the government declared in June 2024 that the 4G penetration rate was 15% nine years after its launch.
While this model promises rapid 5G coverage of Ghana, several unknowns remain. It is still unclear whether telecom operators have already started negotiations for the acquisition of wholesale capacity from Next-Gen InfraCo (NGIC) and under what conditions these agreements will be concluded. Furthermore, the government has not specified a clear timetable for the effective marketing of the service by operators, leaving uncertainty surrounding the speed with which consumers will actually be able to access 5G. Finally, it remains to be seen whether this neutral network model will overcome the historical challenges related to coverage in rural areas and the high cost of services for subscribers.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
Published by Sèna DB de Sodji
Also read:
05/27/2024 – Ghana launches its 5G neutral shared infrastructure company
08/24/2023 – Ghana: no auction for 5G, but a neutral network shared by telecom operators
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