Accra: TECHz Magazine – News Desk
Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA) has officially qualified three of four applicants in the country’s first competitive 5G spectrum auction, marking a critical step in the nation’s digital infrastructure expansion. Following an August 2026 submission deadline, the NCA subjected all applications to an eligibility review and a strict technical qualification assessment.
MTN Ghana, Telecel Ghana, and Goal Telecommunications Ltd successfully met all technical requirements. Goal Telecom’s qualification notably introduces a viable new competitor into a market historically dominated by two incumbents. Conversely, Infrava Ltd was the sole applicant that failed to qualify and has been excluded from the remainder of the process, leaving its financial submission unopened.
The ongoing auction covers 11 distinct spectrum lots operating across the 700 MHz, 2.3 GHz, and 3 GHz frequency bands.The three cleared candidates will now enter the third stage of the selection process. The NCA will formally notify the qualified operators of the specific date and time for the opening and ranking of their Best Price Offers.
This regulatory decision fundamentally reshapes Ghana’s telecommunications market by transitioning from a single-operator wholesale model to a competitive, multi-operator framework. The competitive auction effectively terminates the 10-year exclusive mandate previously granted to Next Gen Infraco Limited (NGIC) in 2024 to deploy Ghana’s wholesale 5G infrastructure.
Following repeated network rollout delays, the government revoked this exclusivity to allow established mobile operators to build their own independent networks. This policy pivot aligns with the government’s revised target of achieving 70% nationwide 5G population coverage by March 2027, aiming to significantly accelerate 5G adoption and improve high-speed broadband access across the country.
