Ghana’s long-delayed wholesale 5G network has officially commenced commercial operations, with Next Gen InfraCo (NGIC) Limited receiving formal regulatory clearance from the National Communications Authority (NCA) to activate its shared 4G and 5G infrastructure platform a milestone that arrives more than a year behind its original schedule but marks a genuine turning point in the country’s digital connectivity agenda.
The NCA’s authorisation, issued following a series of technical inspections and validations confirming that NGIC had satisfied all conditions under its Wholesale Electronic Communications Infrastructure Licence, clears the company to provide commercial wholesale services to licensed mobile network operators. The shared platform is now live in selected areas of Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale, with phased nationwide expansion already underway.
NGIC Chief Executive Officer Tenu Awoonor framed the activation as a decisive shift from planning to delivery. “Today, Ghana moves from 5G ambition to 5G execution. The shared backbone is commercially active and positioned to scale,” he said, adding that the wholesale model allows infrastructure investment to be coordinated nationally while preserving innovation and competition at the retail level.
Chief Operating Officer Nenyi George Andah said the company’s internal focus has now shifted from activation to expansion. “The backbone is active. The framework is clear. The responsibility now is execution, scaling coverage in a coordinated and sustainable manner,” he stated, describing the separation of wholesale infrastructure from retail services as a deliberate policy choice designed to enable faster national reach and more efficient capital deployment.
NewsGhana previously reported that NGIC had faced multiple setbacks including delays in connecting entity licences for some operators, outstanding tower company partnerships, and billing system upgrades, prompting the then-Communications Minister to warn that no further extensions would be granted after the Q4 2025 deadline. Today’s commercial launch confirms NGIC has cleared those hurdles.
Finland’s Nokia has been confirmed as the technology partner for the project. Mustapha Salah, Nokia’s Head of Central West and East Africa for Mobile Networks, described Ghana’s approach as a smart model for the region. “Nokia is proud to partner with NGIC to introduce Ghana’s first neutral-host 4G/5G network,” he said, adding that the wholesale architecture provides a prudent path for operators to deliver high-speed data while enabling new enterprise service models.
The government has set a target of achieving 70 percent population-density 5G coverage by Ghana’s 70th Independence Anniversary. Awoonor acknowledged that meeting the target requires sustained ecosystem coordination. “Achieving 70 percent coverage within the Ghana@70 timeframe demands alignment and long-term discipline. The shared architecture ensures investment is directed toward expanding reach rather than duplicating infrastructure,” he said.
NGIC holds a 10-year exclusivity to deploy both 4G and 5G infrastructure under a shared wholesale model, under which it builds and operates the network backbone while retail operators connect to deliver services to end users across the country.
