By Adnan Adams Mohammed
In a landmark development for Ghana’s digital economy, telecommunications leader MTN Ghana has committed over US$1.1 billion in capital expenditure over the next three years to expand infrastructure and accelerate high-speed 5G deployment.
The multi-million-dollar investment follows decisive policy shifts by the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations aimed at dismantling market monopolies and fostering open capital competition.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series at Jubilee House in Accra on Monday, September 7, 2026, Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George announced that regulatory interventions by the National Communications Authority (NCA) have effectively eliminated long-standing bottlenecks, unleashing a fresh wave of private-sector investment into the nation’s digital backbone.
”The Authority’s Board approved, on July 15, 2026, the removal of the wholesale 5G exclusivity framework that had constrained competition in high-speed mobile broadband,” Mr. George stated during his address.
The policy shift directly catalyzed MTN Ghana’s massive capital injection, which marks the company’s largest infrastructure push in ten years. The expansion plan allocates approximately US$380 million in capital deployment for 2026 alone to fund the rollout of 800 new cell sites nationwide.
”MTN Ghana has committed more than US$1.1 billion over the next three years, including roughly US$380 million this year, to expand coverage, deploy new sites and support 5G rollout — 800 new cell sites in total, the highest annual build the company has undertaken in a decade,” Minister George highlighted, noting that 180 of these sites are already fully operational and routing active network traffic.
The policy overhaul is yielding dividend yields across competing market players as well. Telecel Ghana has ramped up its capital outlay by 60 percent between 2023 and 2026 relative to the preceding four-year period, targeting a total network footprint of 2,698 sites—1,890 of which are already operational.
Market analysts view the removal of the exclusive wholesale model as a turning point for corporate valuations, foreign direct investment, and sector resilience. By replacing protected frameworks with a open-market architecture, regulators have reduced capital exposure risks for major mobile network operators, paving the way for commercial 5G launches expected before the close of December 2026.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to creating a business-friendly digital landscape, Mr. George noted that regulatory predictability and infrastructure scaling are key drivers for national growth.
”The work is far from finished, and I will not pretend otherwise. But the direction is unmistakable, the results are measurable, and the resolve of this Ministry is unshaken,” Mr. George affirmed. “Public office is a public trust, and citizens deserve a clear, honest account of what their government is doing with their mandate.”
The ongoing network build-out prioritizes high-density economic zones alongside underserved peri-urban and rural constituencies, laying the groundwork for low-latency financial tech transactions, enterprise data solutions, and expanded broadband access across Ghana.
