Cabinet Approves Fresh National SIM Registration Exercise; NCA to Serve as Central Data Repository
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has disclosed that Cabinet has approved a completely new national SIM registration exercise following what government describes as an extensive review of the previous process.
According to the Minister, the earlier registration exercise encountered several operational and technical challenges, including weak biometric enforcement, data inconsistencies and instances of registration fraud.
Mr George made the disclosure during high-level discussions with the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications and the National Communications Authority (NCA). The meeting focused on the proposed new SIM registration exercise and Ghana’s roadmap for the rollout of 5G services.
He emphasised that the new initiative will not be a continuation of the previous system but rather a complete reset designed to restore credibility, improve regulatory oversight and strengthen security within the SIM registration framework.
Key features of the new SIM registration framework
Outlining the proposed structure of the new exercise, Mr George revealed that the NCA will serve as the central repository of all SIM registration data under the revised framework.
Biometric verification will also become mandatory for all registrations as part of efforts to enhance data integrity and prevent identity-related fraud.
“A Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) will be introduced to enable cross-network blocking of stolen or fraud-linked devices,” the Minister stated.
He further disclosed that government is currently preparing a revised Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to provide the legal framework governing the new registration process.
Telecom operators who participated in the meeting welcomed the initiative but raised operational concerns relating to implementation, including potential cost implications.
Government is yet to announce the official commencement date for the exercise, while it also remains unclear which stakeholders will bear the financial cost of the new registration process.
The planned exercise will represent Ghana’s second nationwide SIM registration drive following the earlier exercise launched in 2021, which the current administration says was affected by multiple technical and administrative challenges.
Cabinet clears path for new 5G spectrum auction
On the rollout of 5G services, Mr George revealed that Cabinet has approved the removal of the exclusivity clause contained in the previous wholesale 5G framework.
The decision effectively opens the market for a competitive spectrum auction process.
The Minister clarified that government has not scrapped the wholesale model entirely but has revised the framework to enable a network-based rollout that allows multiple operators to participate in the deployment of 5G infrastructure.
Among the major policy steps is a new spectrum auction expected to be conducted in the near term.
Government says the rollout process will also be coordinated to prevent distortions within the telecommunications market while ensuring wider national coverage.
Telecom operators at the meeting, however, cautioned that the deployment of 5G infrastructure is highly capital intensive.
They noted that operators will need to commit substantial resources toward spectrum acquisition, network modernisation and infrastructure expansion to support the rollout.
Industry players therefore called for reasonable spectrum pricing, predictable policy direction and streamlined regulatory approvals to facilitate faster deployment.
The meeting also reviewed Cabinet-approved reforms aimed at strengthening national security safeguards, improving quality of telecom services and accelerating Ghana’s digital transformation agenda.
Discussions concluded with an agreement to hold structured technical engagements between the Ministry, the NCA, the Telecoms Chamber and telecom operators to refine the implementation framework for both the new SIM registration exercise and the planned 5G spectrum auction.
Immediate next steps include finalising the revised Legislative Instrument and publishing the documentation for the spectrum auction.
