Government defends decision against 5G auction, aims for inclusive digital growth
Deputy Information Minister Sylvester Tetteh has defended the government’s decision not to auction the contract for rolling out Ghana’s 5G network, emphasizing the strategy was chosen to maximize benefits and ensure broader digital inclusion.
In an interview on Accra-based Citi FM, Mr Tetteh explained that the government opted to partner with established industry players like Ascend Digital, K-NET, Radisys, Nokia, Tech Mahindra, and other telecommunications companies based on past experiences. The Bortianor Ngleshie-Amanfro MP noted that a special purpose vehicle (SPV) has been created to facilitate this collaboration and achieve optimal results.
“We auctioned our 4G in 2015 and till now, we have had only 15 percent penetration for 4G usage, mainly in city centers. The rest of the country, where we are promoting digitalization and inclusion, has been left out of the 4G space. So if you have done this for nine years and attained only a 15 percent penetration rate, then there is a problem,” he remarked.
He continued, “now we are going for 5G. Are you going to auction it for the highest bidder or whoever qualifies to run it? The person picks it and plays off everybody from the industry, yet we don’t get the necessary benefit from the 5G. So the government says, no, we are not going to auction it; we will own part of it, and all the industry players should own part of it. So this special purpose vehicle was put together by all the industry players.”
Meanwhile, investigative journalist Manasseh Awuni Azure has called on the government to provide evidence supporting its decision not to auction the 5G network contract.
