Gov’t moves to upgrade rural 2G, 3G networks to 4G – Sam George

Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Minister Samuel Nartey George has outlined key digital and telecommunications reforms the government intends to deliver before the end of the year. Speaking at the Government Accountability Series at Jubilee House in Accra, Mr George said the National Communications Authority (NCA) would complete the assignment of 5G spectrum and begin deployment before the end of the year. Mr George said the NCA would also launch its online licensing and payment portal, finalise the road-excavation coordination framework, and introduce cost-recovery penalties to address damage to telecommunications infrastructure.

He said the regulator would establish an emergency telecommunications framework and complete network-quality upgrades. “The rapid completion of network-quality upgrades is mandatory and non-negotiable,” Mr George said on Monday, September 7. He also said the NCA would prepare a framework for customer remedies and sanctions against telecommunications operators that failed to meet required service standards.

“I have tasked the regulator with preparing a framework for customer remediation and sanctions when operators fall short,” he said. Beyond telecommunications, Mr George said the Cyber Security Authority would operationalise the Cybersecurity Fund and open regional offices in four zones. He said NITA would launch TechnicalClearance.

GOV, pilot the Electronic Document Wallet, and establish the Government Digital Assurance Programme to provide the government with a single view of the security and reliability of its digital services. Mr George also said government would finalise the National Artificial Intelligence Delivery Framework with clear implementation milestones. He said government would continue engaging telecommunications operators on data value, the cost of digital services, pay-television prices and the protection of telecommunications infrastructure.

“On the cost of service and network resilience alike, our engagement does not stop here—we will keep pressing operators for further value from data, continued price stability in pay-television, and the infrastructure protection Ghanaians deserve,” he said. Mr George said the measures are aimed at ensuring that Ghana’s expanding digital economy is supported by reliable networks, secure digital services and stronger protection for consumers. The government is working to upgrade ageing 2G and 3G mobile infrastructure in rural communities to 4G-capable networks as part of efforts to bridge Ghana’s digital divide, Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Minister Samuel Nartey George has said.

He said access to a mobile signal was no longer enough, as services such as mobile money, digital agriculture, e-learning and telemedicine increasingly depended on reliable broadband connectivity. Speaking on Monday, September 7, at the Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House in Accra, Mr George said many rural and remote communities were still served by legacy networks that could support voice calls and text messages but were inadequate for modern digital services. “A farmer in a 2G-only community can call the market to ask about prices; she cannot, on that same connection, list her produce on a digital marketplace, receive a real-time weather advisory, or draw down a mobile banking loan,” he said.