The Government of Ghana has announced a partnership with seven industry players to deliver affordable 5G mobile broadband services across the country. The partners, including Ascend Digital, K-NET, Radisys, Nokia, Tech Mahindra, AT Ghana, and Telecel Ghana, have established the Next-Gen Infrastructure Company (NGIC), which has been awarded a 5G license.
NGIC plans to launch 5G services across Ghana within the next six months, followed by expansion to other parts of Africa. The company will be the first 5G Mobile Broadband Shared Infrastructure Entity to build a nationwide 4G/5G network.
Minister for Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, said, “The creation of a shared 5G Mobile Broadband Infrastructure is critical for delivering affordable, high-speed data access to the people of Ghana and help achieve our Digital Ghana vision.”
Senior Vice President of Middle East and Africa at Nokia, Mikko Lavanti, said, “Ghana holds immense potential for mobile broadband growth on the back of an unmet demand for connectivity. Establishing an Open Access Network like NGIC will foster innovation and create numerous opportunities across various sectors.”
CEO of Radisys, Arun Bhikshesvaran, said, “Connectivity for all, through the use of open and disaggregated multi-access solutions, is a key component of Radisys’ initiatives to bridge the digital divide.”
Chief Technology Officer of Tech Mahindra, Manish Mangal, said, “Our partnership with Next Gen Infra Co. is based on a shared vision for digital connectivity and providing Network-as-a-Service to innovate and bring cost efficiency to the telecom market in Ghana and Africa.”
CEO of Ascend Digital and Executive Director of NGIC, Harkirit Singh, said, “NGIC intends to launch its wholesale 4G/5G Network as a Service and make it available to all mobile network operators within the next six months.”
COO of Telecel Ghana, Mohamad Ghaddar, said, “NGIC’s neutral and ‘Network as a Service’ model creates a level-playing field for all telecom operators in Ghana.”
CEO of AT Ghana, Leo Skarlatos, said, “This partnership will enable us to leverage a neutral, shared platform and scale up our services across Ghana.”
