We want to deepen economic, social benefits of 5G — Sam George
The Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has said that the government is positioning the country to capture the full economic and social value of 5G technology through strategic spectrum management and policy reforms.
That, he said, was because spectrum remained a finite national resource which planning, pricing and allocation would determine the country’s readiness for next-generation technologies and digital transformation.
“Cabinet has taken a policy decision. We support the recommendations from the regulatory assessment of the 5G exclusivity provisions; spectrum allocations will now follow a competitive national bidding process.
“We will keep the wholesale framework so that market players will have multiple complementary pathways to roll out next generation services,” he said.
Mr George was speaking at the launch of the 15th anniversary of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications (GCT) in Accra yesterday.
The event, which was organised in collaboration with Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), featured the unveiling of the anniversary logo, and a workshop for industry stakeholders on the auctioning of the nation’s 5G spectrum.
Pricing model
The minister stressed the need for spectrum pricing models that would maximise value to the state without undermining investments required for network expansion, particularly in underserved rural communities.
He said the government was targeting 70 per cent population coverage of 5G services by the 70th independence anniversary of the nation in March, 2027, as part of President John Dramani Mahama’s digital reset agenda aimed at moving the country from digital consumption to digital production and leadership.
“This reset rests on five pillars — legal reforms, artificial intelligence (AI) development, affordable connectivity and digital infrastructure, skills and inclusion, and structural reforms in spectrum management to ensure the country captures the full economic and social benefits of 5G technology,” the minister added.
Collaboration
The Chairman of GCT, Stephen Blewett, said the country’s telecom industry had to be recognised as a critical driver of digital transformation, financial inclusion and economic growth.
He said that the future of the sector would depend on stronger collaboration among industry players, the government and regulators to support investment, innovation and fair competition.
Mr Blewett said AI would fundamentally transform the digital ecosystem and make telecommunications infrastructure more important than ever.
He, therefore, called for greater protection of critical telecom infrastructure, including fibre networks, cell sites and data centres to sustain the nation’s digital and AI-driven future.
Evolution
The Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah, said over the past 15 years, the chamber had evolved from a mobile telephony advocacy body into a broader digital industry platform bringing together telecom operators, tower firms, fibre companies and technology partners.
She added that the chamber had played a significant role in expanding connectivity, financial inclusion and digital services across the country.
Mrs Owusu-Ankomah stressed the importance of policies such as the “dig once” initiative to protect fibre infrastructure and improve digital resilience.
She further called for transparent stakeholder engagement on proposed digital sector reforms and spectrum policies to ensure the country remained competitive in the evolving digital economy.
“We want to evolve, we want to make sure that it reflects the realities of today.
We want to also preserve the strong institutional credibility of the chamber and the brand equity that it has garnered over the last 15 years,” Mrs Owusu-Ankomah added.
For his part, the Senior Director for Regional Social and Policy Research at GSMA, Kenechi Okeleke, praised the country’s telecom sector for recording the highest improvement among 54 African countries on the GSMA Digital Africa Index.
He attributed the progress to strong collaboration among industry players, regulators and policymakers, particularly in areas such as spectrum management, taxation reforms and digital access.
