Prospective telecom operators have been granted additional time to compete for Ghana’s 5G spectrum licences after the National Communications Authority (NCA) extended the application deadline by three weeks. The move is expected to give bidders more time to finalise their submissions as the country advances its 5G rollout.
The application process has been given more breathing room, with the deadline extended from 6 August to 27 August 2026. The NCA said the decision follows feedback from prospective applicants and is aimed at giving bidders more time to prepare strong applications while providing greater clarity on the licensing requirements.
Along with extending the application deadline, the NCA has published a document responding to questions raised by prospective bidders. It also provides further clarification following the pre-application briefing held on 27 July and includes several updates to the original Request for Applications (RFA).
According to the regulator, prospective bidders should review the updated guidance carefully, as it contains revised timelines, corrections and additional information that will form part of the licensing process.
The regulator has also eased the payment requirements for successful applicants. Winning bidders will now have 60 days, rather than 30, to pay their licence fees after being awarded the spectrum, giving operators additional time to secure financing before completing the process.
The NCA said spectrum licenses will be issued within 10 business days once payment has been received in full.
The additional time is expected to benefit both established mobile operators and potential new entrants, allowing them to complete due diligence, secure funding and strengthen their applications before the new deadline.
The licensing process follows Ghana’s decision to move away from its previous wholesale-only 5G deployment strategy. Last month, the regulator officially invited applications for spectrum in the 700 MHz, 2.3 GHz and 3 GHz bands after Next Gen Infraco Limited (NGIC), which had been selected as the country’s wholesale infrastructure provider, failed to meet its target of launching commercial 5G services by June 2025.
The latest move is expected to inject fresh momentum into Ghana’s 5G ambitions while opening the market to greater competition.
Despite the delayed rollout of 5G, Ghana’s mobile market continues to see strong adoption of 4G services. Industry data shows that nearly half of MTN Ghana’s more than 32 million subscribers are already using 4G. At the same time, Telecel Ghana and AT Ghana have an even higher proportion of customers on fourth-generation networks. With millions of users already connected to 4G, the upcoming spectrum awards are expected to provide the foundation for the country’s next phase of mobile broadband development.
