- Telecel Wins Three 2.3ghz Spectrum Lots as Ghana’s 5G Contest Intensifies
Telecel Ghana has secured three spectrum lots in the 2.3GHz band from the National Communications Authority, giving the operator additional capacity to expand mobile broadband services and prepare for a wider 5G rollout.
The company won all three lots for which it applied under the regulator’s competitive licensing process covering the 700MHz, 2.3GHz and 3GHz bands. The award marks another important step in Ghana’s effort to reorganise scarce spectrum resources around the next phase of mobile connectivity.
The development strengthens Telecel’s network position at a time when regulators are trying to inject more capacity and competition into Ghana’s telecoms market. Five lots were made available in the 2.3GHz band, with Telecel applying for three and ultimately securing all of them.
The assignment was completed under the provisions of the NCA’s Request for Applications, according to Telecel and multiple reports on the outcome.
“This award is an important step in our preparations for the rollout of 5G,” Komla Buami, Telecel Ghana’s Director of External Affairs, said. He added that the additional spectrum would “provide additional capacity to improve the customer experience and contribute to the continued growth of Ghana’s digital economy”.
The company’s immediate priority will now be converting the spectrum award into network investment, coverage and service improvements that customers can actually experience.
The award follows a licensing process in which the NCA invited applications for spectrum in three strategically important bands. On September 9, the regulator announced that MTN Ghana, Telecel Ghana and Goal Telecommunications had qualified to proceed, while Infrava Ltd was disqualified at the technical and eligibility stage.
The exercise was designed to allocate additional frequencies for mobile broadband services, including 5G, while introducing clearer competitive and rollout obligations for successful applicants.
By September 11, the 2.3GHz band remained under-subscribed, with four of the five available lots having attracted applications from Telecel Ghana and Goal Telecommunications.
The NCA said at the time that the next stage would proceed under the published Request for Applications, while the 3GHz band was over-subscribed and would require further competitive determination.
Telecel’s subsequent award of three lots therefore represents a further progression in a process that had not yet been fully concluded when the regulator issued its September 11 update.
The 700MHz band has already produced a major allocation to MTN Ghana, which emerged as the successful applicant for two lots.
The NCA said those two lots generated a combined licence fee of US$100.9m, although some secondary reports subsequently cited US$109.9mn, creating a discrepancy between the regulator’s own release and media coverage. For accuracy, the regulator’s published figure of US$100.9m is the stronger reference point.
That contrast highlights an important feature of Ghana’s spectrum policy: not all frequencies carry the same commercial or technical characteristics. Lower-band spectrum such as 700MHz typically supports wider geographic coverage and stronger building penetration, while mid-band frequencies such as 2.3GHz and 3GHz can provide additional network capacity in more densely populated areas.
The commercial value of each award therefore depends not simply on the number of lots secured but on how operators combine them with existing holdings and network architecture.
Telecel says it also expects the award to feed into a broader conversation on spectrum rationalisation. “A well-planned spectrum framework will support network investment, improve service quality and provide the capacity required to meet the country’s growing demand for mobile services,” Buami said.
That argument is significant because spectrum that is fragmented, underused or unevenly distributed can limit the efficiency of network investment even when operators are willing to spend more on infrastructure.
For consumers, the more consequential question is whether additional spectrum results in better speeds, lower congestion and wider access rather than becoming merely another regulatory milestone.
Ghana’s telecom operators have faced persistent pressure over service quality, coverage gaps and the cost of data, while rising digital activity is placing additional strain on available network capacity. The value of Telecel’s award will therefore be judged increasingly by measurable service outcomes rather than by the allocation itself.
The award also reshapes competitive dynamics in a market where MTN remains the dominant operator by scale and network reach. Giving Telecel additional spectrum can strengthen its ability to invest in capacity and compete more aggressively in mobile broadband, particularly if the operator combines the new frequencies with fibre backhaul, tower upgrades and denser radio deployment.
A stronger second network could, in principle, increase competitive pressure on pricing, service quality and innovation across the market.
But spectrum by itself does not create a 5G network. Operators still need substantial capital expenditure in radios, transmission, core-network upgrades, power systems and site expansion, while customers require compatible devices before the benefits become widespread.
That means the next stage of Ghana’s 5G story will depend less on licence announcements and more on the pace at which the successful operators translate those licences into commercially usable infrastructure.
The regulatory process is also not yet over. The NCA’s September 11 update showed that the 3GHz band was over-subscribed, with four applications competing for three available lots, while Telecel and MTN were among the qualified applicants.
The final allocation in that band could materially influence the competitive balance in Ghana’s 5G market and determine how much additional mid-band capacity each major operator ultimately controls.
Telecel’s latest award therefore represents a significant but intermediate step in Ghana’s attempt to build a more competitive and higher-capacity broadband market. The company has secured the spectrum it sought in the 2.3GHz band; the more difficult challenge now is converting that regulatory asset into coverage, capacity and customer experience.
For Ghana, the success of the current licensing exercise will ultimately be measured not by how many spectrum lots are assigned, but by whether those frequencies translate into faster networks, stronger competition and broader access to digital services.
