- From Network Crisis to LTE Testing: AT Ghana Begins Difficult Telecoms Comeback
AT Ghana has secured a provisional licence to deploy fourth-generation mobile services and begun testing its network at selected sites, ending more than a decade in which the state-owned operator remained outside Ghana’s mainstream 4G market.
The National Communications Authority granted the approval under a limited technology-neutrality arrangement, allowing AT Ghana to repurpose its existing spectrum holdings for 4G rather than acquire an entirely new spectrum allocation.
The operator holds paired spectrum blocks of 10MHz in the 900MHz band, 18MHz in the 1800MHz band and 20MHz in the 2100MHz band. These frequencies were previously restricted largely to the delivery of 2G and 3G services.
The regulatory change will permit AT Ghana to refarm parts of the spectrum for LTE services, giving the company its first credible opportunity to compete in a mobile broadband market dominated by MTN Ghana and Telecel Ghana.
Testing is under way at a limited number of sites across the country, with some customers reporting intermittent LTE signals on compatible devices. The tests represent an early technical phase rather than a full commercial launch, and nationwide availability will depend on further investment, network optimisation and access to tower infrastructure.
The licence is nevertheless an important milestone for a company whose revival has become a test of the government’s ability to stabilise a struggling state-owned telecommunications asset without creating an open-ended call on public finances.
AT Ghana’s entry into 4G comes 11 years after MTN Ghana received its licence in 2015. Vodafone Ghana, which has since become Telecel Ghana, followed with 4G services in 2019.
The delay left AT Ghana dependent on older technologies while consumer demand shifted rapidly towards video streaming, digital payments, remote work and other data-intensive services.
Its earlier private owners, Bharti Airtel and Millicom International, did not make the network investment required to prepare the operator for 4G before transferring their interests to the state.
Communications Minister Sam George described the network in 2025 as having reached “end of life status”, arguing that it could not support 4G even if spectrum were provided without charge.
That assessment placed the problem in its proper context: AT Ghana’s difficulty was never solely the absence of spectrum. Its infrastructure, governance, financing and commercial strategy had also deteriorated.
The government subsequently provided US$10mn in financial support to help rehabilitate the network and prepare it for 4G deployment. New boards have also been installed for Airtel Ghana, the state-owned holding company, and PPL Net Limited, the entity operating the AT Ghana brand.
The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications has additionally been directed to grant the operator access to parts of its core network infrastructure.
Together, the measures address three immediate constraints: corporate governance, network capacity and regulatory permission. They do not, however, resolve the deeper commercial question of whether AT Ghana can win back customers in a market where competitors possess larger subscriber bases, stronger distribution networks and more established data services.
The timing presents AT Ghana with a difficult strategic challenge.
While the company is preparing to launch 4G, MTN Ghana and Telecel Ghana are moving towards nationwide 5G deployment. Ghana is targeting at least 70 per cent 5G population coverage by March 6, 2027, when the country marks its 70th independence anniversary.
AT Ghana has also received a connecting-entity licence that will allow it to connect to Next-Gen InfraCo, Ghana’s exclusive wholesale 5G network operator. This means it could eventually offer 5G services without constructing a wholly independent nationwide 5G network.
In practical terms, however, 4G remains essential. Fifth-generation services will initially depend on compatible devices, adequate backhaul and concentration in commercially attractive locations. For a large proportion of mobile customers, reliable 4G coverage will remain the more immediate measure of network quality.
AT Ghana therefore does not need to win a technology race with its larger competitors. It must first provide a dependable service at a price and quality capable of preventing further customer losses.
Its existing spectrum portfolio could provide useful flexibility, particularly the 900MHz frequencies that can support wider coverage and improved indoor penetration. The 1800MHz and 2100MHz bands can then provide additional capacity in more densely populated areas.
But spectrum can only become a competitive asset when backed by functioning radio equipment, reliable fibre and microwave connections, adequate power and access to tower sites.
AT Ghana customers currently rely heavily on Telecel Ghana’s network under a national roaming arrangement. That dependence deepened after ATC Ghana disconnected AT Ghana from tower infrastructure over an unresolved commercial dispute.
National roaming has helped preserve service continuity, but it is not a substitute for rebuilding the operator’s own network. Prolonged dependence on a competitor can increase wholesale costs, weaken control over service quality and make it harder for AT Ghana to differentiate its products.
The rollout of an independent 4G network could allow the operator to reduce roaming gradually, potentially site by site. Yet attempting to restore too much infrastructure too quickly could consume significant capital before subscriber revenue improves.
Management will therefore have to balance network independence against the cost savings available through infrastructure sharing.
The provisional licence removes a major regulatory barrier, but it does not guarantee AT Ghana’s recovery.
The company must convert limited testing into a clear commercial rollout, rebuild consumer confidence and demonstrate that the US$10mn state intervention can produce measurable improvements in coverage, service quality and revenue.
The government must also clarify the long-term ownership and funding strategy for the business. A state-owned operator can promote competition and preserve consumer choice, but recurring public support would weaken the case for rehabilitation.
AT Ghana’s 4G entry could place competitive pressure on MTN and Telecel, particularly if the company offers affordable data packages and improves coverage in underserved areas. It could also give the government greater leverage in pursuing national connectivity goals.
The risk is that the operator arrives with yesterday’s technology but without the financial strength to maintain tomorrow’s network.
The LTE signal now appearing on selected customer devices is therefore a meaningful beginning, but only a beginning. The real measure of AT Ghana’s recovery will be whether that signal becomes reliable, commercially sustainable and widely available—before the rest of the market moves decisively into the 5G era.
