The Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has clarified that MTN, one of Ghana’s leading telecommunications companies, has not been excluded from the country’s 5G rollout plans.
The announcement comes after concerns were raised by industry experts when the government revealed its intention to introduce 5G within the next six months, with MTN not initially included in the consortium – Next-Gen InfraCo (NGIC) – tasked with implementing the 5G network.
In an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show, Owusu-Ekuful addressed the issue, stating that MTN will be involved in the 5G rollout at some point.
She refuted claims that MTN was deliberately excluded, calling them a false alarm and far from the truth.
“I don’t know who created that impression. Somebody threw it out there, and nobody spoke to me or any of those involved in putting this consortium together before spreading this false alarm. It is not true,” she clarified.
Owusu-Ekuful further explained that discussions are ongoing, and all network operators in the country, including MTN, are being offered the opportunity to take up equity in the Next-Gen InfraCo.
The consortium responsible for the 5G rollout includes Ascend Digital, K-NET, Radisys, Nokia, and Tech Mahindra, along with two telcos, AT Ghana and Telecel Ghana.