Ghana chooses a neutral shared mobile network for 5G services over a spectrum auction
Ghana's telecom market has undergone several changes in recent years, following the privatisation of the incumbent telco Ghana Telecom and its rebranding as Vodafone Ghana. Vodafone Ghana was recently sold to Telecel Group, which committed itself to investing in mobile infrastructure. As a result, the operator has considerably extended the reach of its LTE network, and has launched LTE-A service in major urban centres.Two of the key players merged to form AirtelTigo in 2017, though in mid-2020 the parent companies of the operator decided to exit the market. The sale and transfer of AirtelTigo to the state was completed in November 2021, and the operator was rebranded as AT in mid-2023.
In the mobile sector, MTN Ghana remains the dominant player. This was largely the result of a 2015 spectrum auction in which MTN was the only bidder. To address this dominance, the regulator has imposed a number of measures since mid-2020 aimed at reducing the company's market share and so improve the competitive environment. One measure includes technology neutrality affecting sub-GHz spectrum, which will enable MTN and Vodafone to expand their LTE offers, and encourage AT to launch services.
Only MTN Ghana has thus far signalled a willingness to invest in 5G. This reticence is in part due to the existing potential of LTE and LTE-A networks, which can manage anticipated data traffic growth in the short term, as also to restrictions imposed by the company's SMP status. The government in August 2023 decided against auctioning spectrum for 5G, and instead set up a company to operate a shared mobile infrastructure which will provide access to all operators.
Key Developments:
Vodafone Group's 70% stake in Vodafone Ghana sold to Telecel Group after satisfying regulatory conditions.Lynk Global provides mobile satellite networking services to Vodafone Ghana.
Ghana and Togo sign MoU on free international mobile network roaming under the ECOWAS Roaming Regulations.
Bank of Ghana launches the GhanaPay m-money service aimed at accelerating financial inclusion in the country.
Vodafone Ghana expands reach of its LTE network, launches an LTE-A service.
Government planning to set up a network infrastructure company to provide 5G connectivity to operators on a retail basis.
Government approves the landing of two new submarine cables to service Ghana.
Regulator allows for technology neutral use of sub-GHz spectrum to stimulate LTE market development.
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Table of Contents
- Key statistics
- Regional Africa Market Comparison
- Market characteristics
- Market Leaders
- Market Challengers
- Market Emergents
- TMI vs GDP
- Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
- Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration
- Country overview
- Telecommunications market
- Market analysis
- Regulatory environment
- Regulatory authority
- Fixed-line developments
- West African Common Regulatory Framework 2005
- Competition framework 2006
- Electronic Communications Act
- Electronic Transaction Act
- Universal service
- Ghana Investment Fund for Telecommunications (GIFTEL)
- The eCARE project
- Telecom sector liberalisation
- Fixed-line licence conditions
- Mobile network developments
- Quality of Service (QoS)
- Licensing
- Technology neutrality
- Spectrum
- Roaming
- Mobile Termination Rates (MTRs)
- Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
- Network sharing
- Taxation
- SIM card registration
- Mobile market
- Market analysis
- Mobile statistics
- Mobile infrastructure
- Analogue networks
- Digital networks
- Other infrastructure developments
- Mobile data
- Mobile broadband
- Major mobile operators
- Vodafone Ghana
- MTN Ghana
- Tigo Ghana (Millicom Ghana, Mobitel)
- AirtelTigo
- Expresso
- Glo Mobile
- Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)
- M2M
- Mobile content and applications
- M-banking
- M-health
- Fixed-line broadband market
- Introduction and statistical overview
- Broadband statistics
- Public Internet Access Venues (PAVs)
- Shared access centres
- Mobile Telecentre To-Go
- Ghana Internet Service Providers Association (GISPA)
- Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
- Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP)
- Other fixed broadband services
- Fixed wireless broadband
- Powerline Communication (PLC)
- Satellite broadband
- O3b
- Domestic backbone network infrastructure
- Ghana National Public Data Network (DataNet)
- FastNet
- VoltaCom
- Internet Solutions (IS)
- Phase3 Telecom
- Electronic Data Interchange
- Digital economy
- E-commerce
- E-government, e-Ghana project
- E-learning
- E-health
- Fixed network operators
- Vodafone Ghana
- Privatisation
- Network infrastructure
- AirtelTigo
- Nationalisation 2006
- Re-privatisation 2007
- MTN Ghana
- Capital Telecom (defunct)
- Telecommunications infrastructure
- Overview of the national telecom network
- Fibre backbone infrastructure
- Internet Exchange Points (IXPs)
- Ghana Internet Exchange Point (GIX)
- Accra-IXP
- International infrastructure
- Submarine cables
- Satellite services
- Data centres
- Smart infrastructure
- Appendix - Historic data
- Glossary of abbreviations
- Related reports
List of Tables
List of Charts
List of Exhibits
Companies Mentioned
- Vodafone Ghana (Ghana Telecom, OneTouch)
- Telecel Group
- Capital Telecom
- Globacom
- MainOne
- VoltaCom
- Phase3 Telecom
- Suburban Telecom
- AirtelTigo (Tigo Ghana, Airtel Ghana)
- MTN Ghana
- Expresso Telecom (Sudatel, Kasapa)
- Globacom (Glo Mobile)
- Thuraya
- Network Computer Systems (NCS)
- InternetGhana
- Africa Online
- Busy Internet
- Linkserve
- IDN
- Infinite Stream Ghana
- Electricity Corporation of Ghana (ECG)
- Cactel Communications
- O3b Networks
- Internet Solutions
- OneWeb.
