Ursula Owusu-Ekuful
The Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, yesterday announced that the government will be rolling out 5G services by the end of the year to provide affordable 5G mobile broadband services to all Ghanaians.
The minister, who made this known at the Ministry of Information’s ‘Meet the Press’ series in Accra, said the provision of the 5G services is in partnership with seven industry players who will help establish a shared infrastructure for 5G services with high-speed mobile broadband services to Ghanaians.
The partners include Ascend Digital, K-NET, Radisys, Nokia, Tech Mahindra, AT Ghana, and Telecel Ghana.
She said the 5G services is critical to achieving the Digital Ghana vision, which aims to leverage technology to drive economic growth, improve healthcare, education, and digital payment transactions as well as enhance the lives of Ghanaians by introducing digital services that will reduce the digital divide and promote financial inclusion.
“The Next-Gen Infrastructure Company (NGIC) network will provide a strong foundation for the government to offer new services to the people of Ghana through extended inclusion programs, e-government applications, and enabling unlimited opportunities for the private sector and the economy to grow,” she stated.
“It is our expectation that the implementation of this will see NGIC democratise mobile broadband services and become a catalyst for growth in Ghana’s telco market, enabling MNOs to focus on customer excellence, deliver differentiated and innovative services, and foster a high-tech economy with digital entrepreneurs,” she pointed out.
The minister further mentioned that the 5G services is also expected to offer several benefits including faster data speeds, lower latency, and increased connectivity to enable Ghanaians have access to digital services such as healthcare, education, and financial services more efficiently.
She added that NGIC will adopt India’s successful model of affordable handsets, digital platforms, and localised content to replicate high-speed mobile data access across Africa.
The Next-Gen Infrastructure Company has, therefore, been awarded a 5G licence and is expected to launch 5G services across Ghana within the next six months as it plans to expand its services to other parts of Africa, with Ghana being the first country to benefit from this partnership.
Ghana joins a select group of African countries that have rolled out 5G services, including South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt. The move is expected to position Ghana as a digital hub in West Africa and attract investment in the technology sector.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah