GHANA – The Government of Ghana, alongside other companies, has announced a partnership on a new shared Next-Gen Infrastructure Company (NGIC) to deliver affordable 5G mobile broadband services across Ghana.
The companies are Ascend Digital, K-NET, Reliance-owned Radisys, Nokia, and Tech Mahindra, along with network operators AT Ghana and Telecel Ghana.
NGIC has been awarded 5G license and expected to launch 5G services across Ghana within the next six months, followed by expansion to other parts of Africa.
The NGIC will be the first 5G Mobile Broadband Shared Infrastructure Entity to build a nationwide 4G/5G network. The company will also work with MNO partners to launch affordable 4G/5G-enabled FWA CPEs and smartphones in Ghana within 2024.
“The creation of a shared 5G Mobile Broadband Infrastructure is critical for delivering affordable, high-speed data access to the people of Ghana and help achieve our Digital Ghana vision,” Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister, Communications and Digitalization, Republic of Ghana said.
“The creation of NGIC as a neutral, shared platform, accessible to all mobile network operators and tower companies, will help to expand 5G services rapidly across the country.
“We are inspired by India’s digital infrastructure and low-cost mobile data usage and keen to replicate it in Ghana.”
The partnership aims to enhance the lives of Ghanaians by introducing digital services in education, healthcare, and digital payment transactions through P2P (peer-to-peer), P2M (peer-to-merchant) and M2M (merchant-to-merchant) systems, thereby reducing the digital divide and promoting financial inclusion.
Additionally, the multiplayer partnership will support NGIC in the entire deployment of network infrastructure and associated services. To achieve this, Tech Mahindra will build a Cloud Native Core Network powered by leading OEM platforms.
Radisys, a Jio Platforms company, is a global leader in open telecom solutions and digital services. Its disaggregated platforms and integration services leverage open reference architectures and standards combined with open software and hardware, enabling service providers to drive open digital transformation.
“Connectivity for all, through the use of open and disaggregated multi-access solutions, is a key component of Radisys’ initiatives to bridge the digital divide,” Arun Bhikshesvaran, CEO, Radisys said.
“By bringing Fixed Wireless Access alongside 4G and 5G cellular services to help drive economic growth and digital inclusion, Radisys looks forward to helping Ascend and NGIC build a disruptive and affordable shared broadband infrastructure across Ghana.”
Tech Mahindra offers technology consulting and digital solutions to global enterprises across industries, enabling transformative scale at unparalleled speed.
TechM provides a full spectrum of services including consulting, information technology, enterprise applications, business process services, engineering services, network services, customer experience & design services, AI & analytics, and cloud & infrastructure services.
“Our partnership with Next Gen Infra Co. is based on a shared vision for digital connectivity and providing Network-as-a-Service to innovate and bring cost efficiency to the telecom market in Ghana and Africa,” Manish Mangal, Chief Technology Officer, Telecom & Global Business Head, Network Services, Tech Mahindra said.
Based in Ghana, Ascend Digital Solutions collaborates with public institutions across Africa to unlock the potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Its mission is to establish a resilient and secure infrastructure ecosystem that caters to the technological and socio-economic aspirations of African communities and governments.
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational telecommunications, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation.
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