MTN Group and Telecel Group are preparing to bid for 5G licenses in Ghana after the government ends the exclusive rights of a state-backed wholesale provider that partnered with Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s firm.
The African wireless carriers plan to bid in a 5G license auction expected to begin within weeks, MTN Ghana Chief Executive Officer Stephen Blewett and Telecel Group CEO Moh Damush told Bloomberg. The auction follows the government’s decision to revoke the exclusive concession granted to Next Gen Infraco before its scheduled 2034 expiry. Radisys Corp., a unit of Ambani-controlled Reliance Industries Ltd., had been selected to provide the network infrastructure.
Communications Minister Sam George, who took office in 2025, previously said the government would open the licensing process to competition because of the slow rollout of 5G. He declined to comment further when reached by Bloomberg. In March, the National Communications Authority said it was moving to scrap the license. Its Director-General Edmund Fianko declined to comment further when contacted by Bloomberg.
The previous communications minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, had hoped that in partnering with Radisys, NGIC would emulate the success of the provider’s sister-company, Jio Platforms Ltd.
