Ghana is betting big on a transformative 5G network, backed by one of the world’s richest men, Mukesh Ambani. As the West African nation recovers from a crippling debt crisis, hopes are high that the technology will cut data costs and drive economic growth.
According to a Bloomberg report, Ambani-backed Next-Gen InfraCo. (NGIC) will roll out its first wave of 5G coverage. By 2026, the goal is nationwide access, according to Minister of Communications and Digitalization Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.
She highlighted that the initiative is more than just a tech upgrade. “We’re hoping that that would also democratize access to high-speed connectivity across the country,” she said.
NGIC aims to replicate the seismic shift Ambani’s Reliance Jio brought to India in 2016. By introducing affordable data and free voice services, Jio changed India’s telecom landscape, amassing 470 million users and setting the benchmark for mobile data affordability.
In Ghana, the expectation is that a similar revolution will expand access and economic opportunities.
Ghana’s economy, although showing signs of recovery, still has a long way to go. Growth hit 6.9% in the second quarter of this year, a jump from 4.7% in the first quarter, driven mainly by mining.
Yet, the country needs more balanced and sustainable economic gains to return to pre-pandemic levels of 6% annual growth or higher. The government is working on several fronts, including an $8.2 billion cedis initiative to offer cheap loans to small and medium-sized enterprises, a sector that represents 70% of Ghana’s GDP.
NGIC’s exclusive 10-year 5G license, purchased for $125 million, could be a game-changer. With major telecom players like MTN Ghana and Telecel Ghana relying on NGIC’s network, consumers may see lower data costs. Radisys Corp., a unit of Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd., will deliver critical infrastructure, while Nokia, Tech Mahindra, and Microsoft are also onboard as partners.
Ghana’s internet penetration stands at roughly 70%, a number the government aims to push to near-universal coverage over the next six years.
