AT Ghana has secured a provisional licence from the National Communications Authority (NCA) to deploy 4G services using its existing spectrum, paving the way for the telecom operator to enter Ghana’s mobile broadband market more than a decade after 4G services were first introduced.
The approval allows AT Ghana to re-farm portions of its existing spectrum under a limited technology-neutrality regime, enabling frequencies previously restricted to 2G and 3G services to support 4G technology.
AT Ghana holds 10×2 spectrum lots in the 900MHz band, 18×2 in the 1800MHz band and 20×2 in the 2100MHz band.
The development ends a prolonged period in which AT Ghana, formerly AirtelTigo, remained outside the country’s 4G market while MTN Ghana and later Telecel Ghana expanded their mobile broadband networks.
MTN Ghana entered the 4G market in 2015, while Vodafone Ghana, now Telecel Ghana, followed in March 2019. The delay left AT Ghana at a competitive disadvantage as mobile data increasingly became a major part of the telecommunications market.
The company’s previous owners, Bharti Airtel and Millicom International, were unable to make the investments required to upgrade the network for 4G deployment.
In 2025, Communications Minister Sam George said the AT Ghana network had reached what he described as “end of life status”, arguing that the infrastructure could not support 4G without significant investment.
Government-backed network upgrade
The latest development follows government intervention aimed at stabilising AT Ghana and preparing it for the deployment of newer technologies.
Government, which now holds full ownership of Airtel Ghana, the holding company of PPL Net Limited, operator of AT Ghana, provided US$10 million in relief to support the company’s network upgrade and other operational requirements.
The minister subsequently identified the absence of spectrum since 2023 and the lack of a functioning board as major constraints on the company.
A new board was therefore constituted for Airtel Ghana and PPL Net, while the NCA was directed to facilitate the provisional licensing process.
The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) was also instructed to provide AT Ghana with access to part of its core network infrastructure to support the operator’s operations.
With those arrangements now in place, AT Ghana has begun preparing its network for commercial 4G deployment.
LTE signals already appearing
Testing of the new 4G network is reportedly underway at a limited number of sites across the country.
Some customers within the coverage areas of the test sites have already reported intermittently seeing LTE signals on compatible handsets, indicating that the operator has moved beyond preparations into actual network testing.
Several of the administrative requirements previously identified by the minister have also reportedly been cleared, allowing the company to proceed with the rollout.
The move could eventually reduce AT Ghana’s reliance on other operators for network access.
AT Ghana customers have continued to rely heavily on the Telecel Ghana network for roaming services after tower company ATC Ghana reportedly cut AT Ghana from its infrastructure about a year ago.
The rollout of AT Ghana’s own 4G network could therefore allow the company to progressively reduce that dependence as more of its sites become operational.
4G rollout as 5G expansion gathers pace
AT Ghana’s entry into 4G comes, however, as Ghana’s telecommunications industry prepares for a broader transition to 5G.
MTN Ghana and Telecel Ghana have been allocated spectrum for the rollout of 5G services, with an objective of achieving at least 70 per cent national coverage by March 6, 2027.
AT Ghana is also positioning itself to participate in the 5G ecosystem.
The company has been granted a connecting entity licence, allowing it to connect to the National Communications Backbone infrastructure associated with the Next-Gen Infrastructure Company (NGIC), Ghana’s 5G wholesale network.
The licence has reportedly been signed and delivered to AT Ghana, opening the possibility for the company to access NGIC’s 5G infrastructure once it is ready to deploy the service.
For AT Ghana, the immediate priority is therefore to establish a functional 4G network while positioning itself to participate in Ghana’s emerging 5G market.
The latest regulatory approval marks a significant shift for the operator, which has spent years operating without its own 4G network as competitors expanded their broadband footprints.
