The Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, says Ghana will not allow any telecommunications operator to gain an early advantage in the rollout of fifth-generation (5G) mobile services.

Speaking in a sideline interview at the Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, the minister explained that government policy is to ensure that all telecom operators launch 5G services at the same time through a coordinated national rollout.

According to him, the approach is designed to create a level playing field in the telecommunications market while preventing any operator from securing a dominant head start in deploying next-generation network infrastructure.

“I have been clear in my policy direction to the regulator. One network will not roll out 5G. All networks will roll out 5G on the same day,” Mr George said.

“We will have a national launch that will carry everybody,” he added.

The minister indicated that the rollout strategy will be supported by the planned auction of 5G spectrum by the National Communications Authority (NCA), with licensing conditions requiring operators to sign onto a national roaming framework.

Under this arrangement, he explained, telecom companies that secure spectrum licences will be required to allow other operators to access their 5G sites at cost price for a limited period to prevent unfair market advantages.

“If telecom company ‘A’ gets the licence and telecom company ‘B’ doesn’t, company ‘A’ will have to allow company ‘B’ to roam on its 5G sites at a cost price until they can condition their network,” he said.

Mr George’s comments follow recent claims by Next-Gen Infraco (NGIC) that it had received confirmation from the regulator that it had met the requirements to begin commercial wholesale 4G and 5G operations under its licence.

However, the minister described those claims as misleading, arguing that the limited number of sites currently deployed by the company cannot be considered a nationwide rollout.

“In Greater Accra alone, we have over 1,600 cell sites. So if someone has about 43 sites and says they have rolled out in Greater Accra, or two cell sites in the Ashanti Region and says they have rolled out 5G, how is that a rollout?” he questioned.

He also revealed that the company is currently in default of certain licensing obligations, including payments owed to the regulator since September last year.

According to him, the regulator has formally notified the company about the breach while engagement with industry players continues on the national roaming framework ahead of the spectrum auction.

Beyond the planned 5G rollout, the government is also implementing regulatory reforms aimed at encouraging investment and expanding network infrastructure across the telecommunications sector.

Mr George noted that policy measures such as technology neutrality and adjustments to quality-of-service benchmarks have already prompted major telecom operators to accelerate network expansion.

Companies, including MTN Ghana and Telecel Ghana, have announced plans to deploy hundreds of new cell sites this year to improve coverage and service quality across the country.

The minister said these investments reflect the government’s broader strategy of shifting the role of the regulator from strict enforcement to enabling innovation and growth within Ghana’s digital economy.