The National Communications Authority (NCA) has amended the Wholesale Electronic Communications Infrastructure Licence issued to Next Gen Infraco Limited (NGIC) by removing the condition that granted the company exclusive rights to operate as Ghana's sole wholesale 5G infrastructure provider.
In a statement issued on July 15, 2026, the NCA said the exclusivity condition, which formed part of the original regulatory framework established to support the development of a national wholesale 5G network, gave NGIC the sole right to own and operate wholesale 5G infrastructure in Ghana.
However, the Authority said the telecommunications market has evolved and that the public interest is now better served by a competitive wholesale 5G market that promotes investment, innovation, network resilience, service quality and wider access to advanced communications services.
"The Authority has concluded that the public interest is better served by a competitive wholesale 5G market," the statement said.
The Authority's power to amend the Licence is derived from Article 6.1.2 of NGIC's Licence and section 14 of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775), which empower the Authority to amend licence conditions in the public interest.
The NCA issued a Notice of Proposed Amendment to NGIC on March 2, 2026, and met with the company on March 18, 2026. NGIC submitted a Statement of Objections on April 1, 2026, and was afforded a further opportunity to make oral representations before the Governing Board on May 28, 2026.
After carefully considering NGIC's written and oral representations, the Authority concluded that it was in the public interest to remove the exclusivity condition from the Licence.
The amendment relates only to that specific condition and does not affect the validity of the remainder of the Licence. NGIC therefore retains all its other rights and obligations under the Licence, including its spectrum assignment. The amendment takes effect from July 15, 2026.
The Authority expects the amendment to promote competition in the wholesale 5G market, encourage investment and innovation, and further advance Ghana's digital transformation agenda in the public interest. The move follows a government pledge to "democratise access to 5G" and achieve 70 per cent population coverage by the 70th Independence anniversary in 2027.