Minister of Communication and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has announced that the government has granted approval for the establishment of a neutral shared infrastructure company aimed at delivering nationwide 4G and 5G services.
This strategic move is designed to facilitate service providers in expanding their coverage to rural areas and to support the government’s overarching digitalization agenda.
Minister Owusu-Ekuful made these remarks during her address at the 12th African Peering and Interconnection Forum, which was hosted by MainOne.
With the rising demand for digital services across Africa, businesses are compelled to innovate and enhance their digital infrastructure to meet the growing needs of consumers. The African Peering and Interconnection Forum, organized by MainOne, served as a platform for exploring the latest trends and developments in the industry.
In an interview, Mr. Owusu-Ekuful elaborated that the government is committed to providing the necessary infrastructure to enable service providers to extend 4G networks to cover 80 percent of Ghana’s population.
“We have just been granted approval to have a neutral shared infrastructure along this lines, we’ll be working with network operators and private investors to set up a 4G and 5G network as well, so we are not going to be auctioning 5G, we are giving it to this networks so that all operators can use it and extend it to about 80% of the population”, she mentioned.
The Minister also emphasized the government’s unwavering commitment to cultivating a robust digital economy, highlighting that substantial investments in connectivity have already laid a strong foundation for a flourishing ecosystem.
Emmanuel Kwarteng, the Country Manager of MainOne, further underscored the forum’s primary objective, which is to harness the potential of the internet and stimulate innovation to drive economic development.
During the forum, internet service providers received encouragement to collaborate and collectively address the existing gaps in initiatives aimed at boosting local internet traffic.
MainOne, an Equinix Company, has successfully developed and managed a network of Tier III data center facilities strategically positioned in Ghana, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire. This infrastructure has facilitated the growth of one of West Africa’s largest and most dynamic digital ecosystems.