The Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications has announced plans to reposition and rebrand itself as it celebrates its 15th anniversary, signalling a broader ambition to lead policy advocacy and collaboration across Ghana’s expanding digital economy.
At a soft launch of the anniversary celebrations in Accra, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah said the Chamber was evolving to reflect the changing nature of the telecommunications industry, which has grown beyond mobile voice services to become a critical driver of national development.
Established in 2010 and formally inaugurated in 2011, the Chamber began as a platform for mobile network operators but has since expanded to include tower companies, fibre infrastructure providers, managed service firms and global technology companies such as American Tower Corporation, Helios Towers, C-Squared, Spectrum Fibre, Vobiss Solutions, Huawei Technologies and Ericsson.
Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah said Ghana’s telecommunications landscape had undergone transformation over the past 15 years. She noted that Internet penetration, has risen from less than four per cent when the Chamber was formed to about 70 per cent today, while mobile penetration is approaching 100 per cent.
She said telecommunications infrastructure had become an indispensable national utility supporting healthcare, education, commerce, governance and financial inclusion.
“We have moved beyond an era where our focus was simply on increasing access and mobile penetration. Digital services now underpin nearly every aspect of our national life,” she said.
The CEO called for the urgent implementation of Ghana’s “dig once” policy to protect fibre infrastructure and reduce recurring fibre cuts, which continue to disrupt network operations nationwide.
She also underscored the strategic importance of spectrum policy, warning that decisions taken today would shape Ghana’s digital competitiveness, investment attractiveness, service quality and affordability for years to come.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, the Chamber will roll out a series of initiatives, including digital dialogue forums, knowledge-sharing sessions, coding caravans and the transformation of its flagship Mobile for Development conference into a broader Digital for Development conference.
The celebrations will culminate in a recognition dinner later this year, during which the Chamber will honour key stakeholders and welcome new members from Ghana’s growing digital ecosystem.
Ghana sets ambitious 5g target
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, announced that Ghana is aiming to achieve 70 per cent nationwide 5G coverage by the country’s 70th Independence anniversary in 2027.
He described the target as one of the most ambitious digital transformation agendas on the African continent.
According to the Minister, government has adopted a policy to allocate spectrum through a competitive national bidding process to accelerate the rollout of next-generation connectivity.
He disclosed that approximately 15 new and revised bills are being developed to strengthen communications regulation, cybersecurity, data governance and oversight of emerging technologies.
Sam George said the telecommunications sector has become a major pillar of Ghana’s economy, with mobile penetration exceeding 110 per cent and more than 38 million active subscriptions.
He cautioned against spectrum auctions designed primarily to maximise short-term government revenue, stressing that sustainable investment and universal coverage should remain the overriding priorities.
Future spectrum allocations, he added, will include firm obligations for operators to extend services to rural and underserved communities.
The Minister also revealed that the National Communications Authority is finalising a 10-year national spectrum management framework aligned with international best practices to support fair pricing, improved quality of service and broader digital inclusion.
He urged operators and industry stakeholders to support government programmes such as the Girls in ICT Programme and intensify collaboration to bridge the digital divide.
Industry calls for stronger collaboration
Chairman of the Chamber and Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Stephen Blewett, called for deeper cooperation among operators, regulators and government to position Ghana as a leader in Africa’s artificial intelligence-driven digital economy.
He said the future of telecommunications extends far beyond voice and data, placing the industry at the heart of artificial intelligence, innovation and economic transformation.
Stephen Blewett noted that years of investment in fibre, spectrum and digital platforms had turned Ghana into one of the continent’s most dynamic telecommunications markets, supporting financial inclusion, public service delivery and enterprise growth.
He warned that the next phase of digital transformation would be faster and more complex, requiring a predictable regulatory environment that encourages continued investment and safeguards critical infrastructure.
He added that the Chamber must evolve from being solely the voice of telecom operators into a broader platform representing the entire digital economy ecosystem.
Ghana leads Africa in digital progress
Senior Director for Regional Social and Policy Research at the GSMA, Kenechi Okeleke, said Ghana recorded the highest improvement among all 54 countries assessed in the GSMA Digital Africa Index.
He attributed Ghana’s performance to sustained collaboration among government, regulators and telecom operators, as well as reforms in spectrum policy, taxation and digital access.
Kenechi Okeleke described the Chamber’s partnership with the GSMA as one of the organisation’s most impactful collaborations on the continent.
“The gains are not just reflected in rankings. They represent real progress in expanding access to digital services and improving the lives of millions of Ghanaians,” he said.
