NCA launches 30th anniversary
The Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has tasked the National Communications Authority (NCA) to accelerate the rollout of fifth-generation (5G) services and achieve at least 70 per cent population coverage by March 6, 2027.
He explained that the target formed part of the government’s broader drive to deepen digital transformation and strengthen the country’s competitiveness ahead of its 70th independence anniversary.
“It is a steep aspiration, but I am more than confident in the resilience and abilities of the fine men and women who run the NCA, and I trust them to deliver.
If the past 30 years were about building access, then the next 30 must be about building digital power.
The power to innovate, compete globally, and shape our own technological destiny”, he said.
Mr George was speaking at the launch of the 30th anniversary of the NCA held in Accra last Tuesday.
Launch
The year-long celebration is on the theme, “30 years of Communications Regulation: Celebrating impact, advancing a more inclusive digital future.”
The event, which featured the unveiling of the anniversary logo, brought together sister agencies, telecom operators, digital industry players, policymakers and development partners to reflect on three decades of communications regulation and chart the future of the sector.
Policy shift
Mr George disclosed that the cabinet had approved the removal of exclusivity from the existing 5G wholesale arrangement, opening the market to a competitive spectrum allocation process.
The policy shift, the minister said, was intended to accelerate infrastructure expansion, attract investment and improve consumer experience through improved voice, data and broadband services.
The minister also outlined ongoing legislative reforms aimed at modernising the country’s digital ecosystem.
He stated that about 15 new and revised bills were being prepared to update frameworks on digital governance, cybersecurity, data protection and emerging technologies.
He described the 30th anniversary as a significant milestone in regulatory development and urged stakeholders to collaborate to ensure connectivity reached underserved communities, while fostering innovation and inclusive growth.
The NCA Board Chair, Mavis Ampah, reflected on the Authority’s formative years, recalling the establishment of its legal, organisational and technical foundations, including early spectrum monitoring systems and specialised staff training.
She recalled difficult policy decisions that shaped competitive licensing and regulatory credibility, as well as the transition from modest offices to the NCA Tower and expanded regional presence nationwide.
Ms Ampah further argued that inclusion must also mean representation, urging greater participation of women in ministerial roles, board leadership and executive management across the sector, and calling for sustained institutional responsibility over the next three decades.
Mandate
The Director-General of the NCA, Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko, traced the country’s communications transformation from limited fixed lines and analogue broadcasting to a dynamic digital ecosystem underpinning commerce, education, health care and governance.
He outlined a year-long programme of heritage events, stakeholder engagements, documentaries and a commemorative book to preserve institutional memory, while reaffirming the Authority’s commitment to fair, technically sound and forward-looking regulation in the public interest.
