Ghana opens 5G licensing round with competition safeguards

Ghana has launched a competitive bidding process for 5G licenses, offering 11 separate lots worth $230 million（約370億円） in total value. The move is intended to increase competition in the telecommunications sector, which has long been dominated by two players: MTN and Telecel, which together account for 95% of mobile internet users in the country.

The timing reflects a policy shift. In 2024, Ghana had granted exclusive 5G infrastructure rights to Next Gen Infraco, making it the sole provider of 5G capability to internet service providers (ISPs) nationwide for a period of 10 years. However, in March of this year, Ghana amended Next Gen Infraco's license, citing a need for greater competition and consumer choice. That amendment paved the way for the current open licensing round.

To manage market concentration, Ghana has designed the licensing process with specific safeguards. The 11 lots prevent any single company from acquiring all spectrum bands, and prospective bidders from MTN face a 40% premium—a competition safeguarding measure imposed because of MTN's significant existing market power. Both MTN and Telecel have already signaled their intention to bid for 5G licenses under the new framework.

The licensing round arrives as Ghana's mobile internet market shows rapid expansion. Mobile internet penetration has risen by more than seven percentage points to nearly 90% over the past year—a figure that substantially exceeds the sub-Saharan African average of about 36%. This high penetration rate and strong growth trajectory underscore why 5G access is becoming a central policy issue, as the next generation of connectivity will be critical to supporting the country's digital economy and ensuring no operator can monopolize access.

Ghana's decision to open a competitive 5G licensing round reflects a significant policy reversal. In 2024, the government granted exclusive infrastructure rights to a single operator, Next Gen Infraco, but within months chose to amend that arrangement and introduce competition. This shift suggests policymakers recognized that an exclusive model risked entrenching the existing duopoly: MTN and Telecel together control 95% of the market, giving them outsized influence over the country's digital infrastructure.

The structural safeguards in the licensing round—splitting access into 11 lots and capping any single operator's holdings—are designed to prevent further consolidation. The 40% premium on MTN's bids is a more direct intervention, using pricing as a lever to offset the incumbent's advantage. Ghana's mobile internet penetration has climbed to nearly 90% over the past year, well above the sub-Saharan African average of about 36%, suggesting the country sees 5G rollout as both competitive necessity and opportunity. The success of this licensing round will determine whether Ghana can meaningfully diversify its telecommunications landscape or whether incumbents will dominate the next generation of network access.