The Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has disclosed that Ghana is targeting December 2026 to begin the deployment of 5G services, with government expecting the assignment of the required spectrum to be completed in time for the rollout.
The Minister said the planned deployment forms part of broader government efforts to improve the quality and reliability of telecommunications services while expanding access to faster and more dependable mobile connectivity across the country.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series at Jubilee House in Accra on Monday, September 7, 2026, Mr George said government was also implementing measures to address persistent network-quality challenges.
Among the measures are a road-excavation coordination framework and an Emergency Telecommunications Framework, while telecommunications operators will be required to meet upgraded network-quality standards.
The Minister said poor network quality would no longer be treated as an issue that could simply be overlooked, signalling a tougher approach to ensuring operators provide reliable services to consumers.
“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,” he said.
The planned 5G rollout is also expected to receive significant support from MTN Ghana, which has committed more than $1.1 billion over the next three years towards expanding and upgrading its telecommunications network.
According to Mr George, about $380 million of the commitment is expected to be invested this year to improve network coverage, deploy additional cell sites and support the expansion of 5G infrastructure.
He said the investment includes the construction of 800 new cell sites, representing the highest annual build undertaken by MTN Ghana in a decade, with particular attention to rural and peri-urban communities where network challenges have been more pronounced.
Of the 800 sites, 180 have already been activated and are carrying traffic, the Minister disclosed.
Mr George said he personally worked with Members of Parliament to identify and mark specific locations in their constituencies that have been most affected by poor network coverage.
He described the exercise as the first time such an initiative had been undertaken on that scale, adding that the investment is intended to address persistent network challenges, improve connectivity and extend reliable telecommunications services to underserved communities.
The government’s 5G plan, together with the increased investment in network infrastructure, is expected to improve mobile connectivity and service quality while extending faster telecommunications services to more communities across Ghana.
