MTN Ghana has officially joined the initiative to roll out a shared 4G/5G infrastructure in Ghana, marking a significant project expansion.
The announcement was made by Michael Kwablah, Chief Technical Officer at Ascend Digital, during the opening of the National ICT Week in Accra.
Ascend Digital is one of the key local partners in the NextGen Infrastructure Company (NGIC), which is spearheading the project.
Initially, NGIC’s partners included Telecel Ghana and AT Ghana, but as of July 2024, MTN Ghana has entered the process.
The consortium now includes seven partners: Ascend Digital, K-NET, Nokia, Radisys, Tech Mahindra, and the newly joined MTN.
Kwablah revealed that negotiations for the rollout are well advanced, with shares in NGIC allocated based on each telco’s contributions.
These contributions will be evaluated to determine the allocation of shares, including cash and infrastructural assets such as towers, fibre optics, and microwave channels.
NGIC has engaged extensively with tower companies, including ATC Ghana and Helios Towers, to integrate co-location towers into the 4G/5G network rollout.
Initially uncertain whether NGIC would be a competitor or partner, these companies have now recognized the collaborative nature of the relationship.
The rollout is supported by completing the digital transport backbone under the World Bank-sponsored E-Transform program. This backbone, including fibre and microwave networks, was finalized in April.
The following steps involve installing infrastructure at data centres, with equipment from Nokia and Radisys expected to arrive by next week.
Kwablah expressed optimism that 5G services could become available nationwide within one to two months.
The shared network model is anticipated to make 5G more accessible and affordable, particularly for smaller entities and communities.
This model allows for direct acquisition of small capacities from NGIC, bypassing the need to approach individual telcos.
Radisys is also expected to contribute by providing affordable 4G and 5G devices to facilitate greater adoption of the new technology.
