Industry News

Mr. Mupita, in a media interaction last Friday, announced plans to invest US$1.1 billion in Ghana over the next three years to strengthen its infrastructure and improve service delivery.

MTN Group President and CEO, Ralph Mupita, has completed a three-day working visit to Ghana. His visit sought to advance the company’s digital ambitions and reinforce the Group’s commitment to the Ghana market.

Mr. Mupita, in a media interaction last Friday, announced plans to invest US$1.1 billion in Ghana over the next three years to strengthen its infrastructure and improve service delivery. He said the accelerated capital expenditure underscores the company’s confidence in its Ghanaian operations.

“We are going to accelerate capital investment within the business, US$1.1 billion equivalent over a three-year period to build robust infrastructure. Previously, we invested US$1 billion over five years. This acceleration demonstrates that Ghana remains a material operation for the Group.”

– Ralph Mupita, President and CEO, MTN Group 

During the visit, the Group CEO engaged with key stakeholders across the public sectors. Discussions focused on strengthening collaboration and driving investment to support Ghana’s national development, while positioning MTN to continue delivering leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress.

Mr. Mupita also met with MTN Ghana’s leadership team and employees, where he reiterated the Group’s confidence in the Ghana business and outlined expectations for the year ahead. These engagements highlighted ongoing investment in network resilience, customer experience, digital innovation, and youth empowerment initiatives. He also used the opportunity to announce that MTN Ghana has been formally elevated to the status of a major subsidiary within the MTN Group, reflecting its growing strategic importance within the MTN Group.

Senior Vice President of MTN Group, Ebenezer Asante, reiterated the importance of deepening collaboration with government and regulatory agencies.

“We are not only here to talk about what we have done in the past, but to engage in solutioning, to explore what more we can do together and how we can partner on future opportunities.”

– Ebenezer Asante, Senior Vice President, MTN Group

For his part, the CEO of MTN Ghana, Stephen Blewett, disclosed the company’s plans to roll out at least 500 new network sites by the end of 2026. To put the expansion into perspective, Mr. Blewett noted that MTN Ghana built 50 sites in 2025 and between 25 to 30 sites in 2024.

“Now, we are moving to 500 sites in a single year. And why are we doing that? Because it gives a better quality of service to our customers.”

– Stephen Blewett, CEO, MTN Ghana

During his three-day visit, Mr. Mupita visited key government institutions like the Bank of Ghana, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) and the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations.

Source : www.techafricanews.com

Ericsson, together with Apple and MediaTek, is advancing 6G ecosystem development through joint demonstrations at Mobile World Congress 2026 that highlight spectrum-sharing technologies and early prototype systems. The collaborations aim to ensure interoperability between networks, devices, and chipsets while preparing service providers for a gradual transition from 5G to 6G. Showcases include Multi-RAT Spectrum Sharing for efficient coexistence of 5G and 6G and centimeter-wave connectivity designed to support AI-driven and extended reality applications, marking an important step toward expected commercial 6G readiness around 2030.

STOCKHOLM, 23-Feb-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Ericsson is intensifying its push toward 6G development by expanding collaboration with key technology partners Apple and MediaTek, aiming to accelerate ecosystem readiness for the next generation of mobile connectivity. At Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, the companies will present live demonstrations showcasing early innovations in spectrum use and prototype systems designed to support future 6G capabilities.

The joint efforts reflect an ecosystem-driven strategy to define, validate, and scale technologies that will underpin 6G networks. By aligning infrastructure, devices, and chipsets early in the development cycle, the partners are working to ensure interoperability and smooth adoption for communications service providers as the industry transitions beyond 5G.

One of the demonstrations, conducted with Apple, focuses on Multi-RAT Spectrum Sharing (MRSS), a technology designed to allow 5G and future 6G services to operate simultaneously within the same frequency bands. The approach is intended to enable a gradual migration path, reducing operational complexity while maximizing spectrum efficiency. The proof-of-concept setup links separate 5G and simulated 6G systems through an Ericsson base station operating in mid-band Time Division Duplex spectrum to validate real-time performance.

In collaboration with MediaTek, Ericsson will also showcase how centimeter-wave spectrum could support high-capacity, low-latency connectivity required by emerging applications such as AI-enhanced extended reality and other data-intensive services. The demonstration integrates Ericsson’s radio access network with a MediaTek prototype device platform, illustrating an end-to-end connection up to the IP layer.

A key feature being explored is contention-based buffer status reporting, a concept aimed at significantly lowering latency in dense environments—an important requirement for scaling immersive and AI-driven applications.

These initiatives build on the foundation established by 5G Standalone and 5G Advanced technologies while aligning with global 3GPP and O-RAN frameworks that are expected to shape open, programmable network architectures. Initial implementable 6G specifications are anticipated toward the end of the decade, with commercial deployments projected around 2030.

Through early validation of technical concepts and cross-industry partnerships, Ericsson and its collaborators are laying the groundwork for scalable 6G infrastructure, enabling service providers to evolve networks efficiently while unlocking new opportunities tied to artificial intelligence and next-generation digital experiences.

Source : news.europawire.eu

Over 400 people in Nchamab, a rural community in Pru East District of the Bono East Region, received free health screening and medication at the Telecel 2026 Healthfest. The event, targeting deprived areas, identified common illnesses like hepatitis B, diabetes, malaria, and typhoid.

The chief executive officer of Divine Mother and Child Foundation,Mr Edmund Duodu, highlighted the need for Telecel Healthfest to bring quality healthcare services to the people in rural areas. 

“We aim to bridge the healthcare gap in rural areas,” said Edmund Duodu of Divine Mother and Child Foundation. The foundation plans to reach over a million people this year.

The fest in its two forms is identifying and solving problems of people who one way or other can afford to pay their hospital bills and providing free medical to pregnant women in the rural areas.

Mr. Edmund Duodu mentioned Telecel Healthfest does not just end by providing these medical services but also takes contacts of every beneficiary, so once a while, they check them and those who need to go visit hospitals would be taken care of.

Beneficiaries from communities like Number One and Tabun and its environs praised the initiative, citing difficulties accessing quality healthcare. One beneficiary beamed with joy, grateful for the timely service.

According to some of the beneficiaries,they hardly go to the health facilities for check-ups, and even when they are sick,they use the local medicines for treatment because the availability of these facilities is a bigger challenge and appealed for support from government,NGOs and other individuals to bring quality healthcare services closer to them.

Source : www.gbcghanaonline.com

MTN will participate in MWC Barcelona 2026 from 2 to 5 March at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, joining global industry leaders, governments and investors as the sector shapes the next phase of digital infrastructure and services. Convened by the GSMA, MWC Barcelona 2026 marks the event’s 20th edition in Barcelona and remains the sector’s most influential gathering on connectivity and the digital economy.

For the first time at MWC Barcelona, MTN will exhibit from its own stand in Hall 4, providing a dedicated space for leadership engagement on the infrastructure, policy and partnership priorities shaping Africa’s digital and AI readiness.

With the event theme, “The IQ Era,” MWC Barcelona 2026 will spotlight AI-powered connectivity, next-generation networks and the systems that make digital transformation durable, secure and scalable. For Africa, AI readiness will be determined by fundamentals that can be built, financed and governed: resilient networks and supporting infrastructure, affordable access, relevant skills, and policy and regulatory certainty that supports long-term investment. MTN’s participation reflects its continued focus on strengthening these foundations through sustained network investment, expanding digital and financial services, and supporting partnerships that extend reach and reduce barriers to inclusion.

Leading the MTN delegation, Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita, in his capacity as Deputy Chair of the GSMA, will engage in high-level discussions on the enabling role of telecommunications in AI ecosystems. His participation in leadership engagements during the week will focus on the infrastructure and enabling frameworks required for responsible AI adoption at scale, particularly in emerging markets.

MTN’s broader executive team will contribute to specialised dialogues on priorities central to Africa’s digital future, including fintech innovation, digital trust and online safety, and the partnership models needed to accelerate coverage, strengthen resilience and build confidence in digital platforms.

MTN invites partners, investors, media and stakeholders attending MWC Barcelona 2026 to connect with the team in Hall 4 to engage on how Africa’s digital future is being built, and the practical collaboration required to ensure the AI era broadens opportunity rather than widening divides.

Source : www.mtn.com

Two hundred Kenyan youth from the country’s northeastern semi-arid region have graduated from a digital skills training program sponsored by Chinese telecoms firm Huawei.

Senior government officials, lawmakers and industry executives graced the graduation ceremony, stressing the critical role of digital literacy among youth in powering the growth of Kenya’s knowledge-based economy.

Ummir Bashir, principal secretary in the State Department for Culture, the Arts and Heritage, said Kenya is relying on the digital skills of its youthful population to achieve inclusive growth and enhance competitiveness.

Bashir hailed the six-week Huawei-supported training course under its flagship DigiTruck program, saying it enabled the youth to acquire market-relevant skills.

“As we move deeper into a digital world driven by technology and social media, these skills are essential for meaningful participation in today’s economy,” she said at the ceremony on Friday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

Launched in Kenya in 2019, the Huawei DigiTruck is a solar-powered mobile classroom designed to deliver free, hands-on digital skills training directly to grassroots communities, boosting digital inclusion in the country.

So far, the DigiTruck has reached 40 of Kenya’s 47 counties, providing digital skills training to about 9,000 local youth.

The program, implemented by Huawei in partnership with state agencies, aims to equip youth with practical competencies in basic digital literacy, online safety, data privacy and entrepreneurship.

Yuta Leng, director of public affairs at Huawei Kenya, said the company remains committed to bridging the digital divide in Kenya through youth-centered training and mentorship.

“Through initiatives like DigiTruck, we are ensuring that every community has the skills needed to participate meaningfully in the digital economy,” Leng said.

Aden Daudi, a lawmaker from Wajir County in northeastern Kenya, hailed the DigiTruck program for helping eliminate the skills and infrastructure gaps that have prevented youth in marginalised regions from acquiring digital literacy. 

Source : english.news.cn

Ghana has maintained its position as the world’s top performer in the 2025 Mobile Money Regulatory Index (MMRI) published by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), scoring 96.10 per cent, up from 95.06 per cent in 2024.

The latest ranking reinforces Ghana’s reputation as a global leader in mobile money regulation, underpinned by a framework that promotes innovation, deepens financial inclusion and strengthens consumer protection within the digital financial ecosystem.

The GSMA’s Mobile Money Regulatory Index assesses regulatory frameworks across 90 countries, measuring how effectively policies enable mobile money services to grow while ensuring operational integrity and user safeguards. Ghana’s continued dominance positions it as a benchmark for digital financial governance globally.

The index highlights Ghana’s strong performance across several regulatory pillars. The country achieved perfect scores of 100 in transparency and disclosure requirements, authorisation processes, and consumer protection — reflecting clear regulatory guidelines, accessible market information, and robust safeguards for users.

Ghana scored 93 in integrity, demonstrating solid ethical standards and compliance within the mobile money sector. Oversight of operations, organisation, and governance recorded 85, suggesting scope for improved coordination and monitoring.

Meanwhile, policy enablement scored 96, signalling a regulatory climate that supports innovation and effective policy implementation.

In response to the ranking, the Bank of Ghana reaffirmed its commitment to collaboration and policy continuity.

“The Bank will continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders in the implementation of policies aimed at sustaining Ghana’s progress toward a fully inclusive and digitally empowered economy,” it stated.

Despite the strong regulatory showing, fraud remains a significant challenge within Ghana’s expanding mobile money ecosystem. Data from the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) indicate a steady rise in cybercrime-related losses, with online fraud ranking among the most frequently reported threats.

Between January and September 2025, Ghana recorded more than 2,000 cybercrime incidents, many linked to mobile money fraud, resulting in losses exceeding GH¢19 million for individuals and businesses.

The contrast between Ghana’s world-leading regulatory framework and rising fraud cases highlights a critical reality: while policy foundations are robust, sustained vigilance, public education and enhanced fraud prevention measures will be essential to protect users and preserve trust in the country’s rapidly growing digital financial services sector.

Source : www.citinewsroom.com

The MTN Group CEO, Mr Ralph Mupita, concluded his 3-day working visit to Ghana on Friday, February 20, 2026.

The event, his first official strategic business engagement in Ghana since the beginning of the year, involved visits to selected government agencies with some MTN management members.

The places visited included the Bank of Ghana, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, and the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovation.

His visit sought to advance the company’s digital ambitions and reinforce the group’s commitment to the Ghana market.

Accompanying Mr Mupita were the Board Chairman of MTN Ghana, Dr Ishmael Yamson, MTN Group Senior Vice President for Markets, Mr Ebenezer Twum Asante, CEO, Mr Stephen Blewitt, and Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, Madam Adwoa Afriyie Wiafi.

Mr Mupita took the opportunity to address the annual workers’ durbar, where staff interacted with him.

Addressing the media to end his visit, Mr Mupita announced plans to invest US$1.1 billion in Ghana over the next three years to strengthen its infrastructure and improve service delivery. He said the accelerated capital expenditure underscores the company’s confidence in its Ghanaian operations. “We are going to accelerate capital investment within the business, US$1.1 billion equivalent over a three-year period to build robust infrastructure. Previously, we invested US$1 billion over five years.

This acceleration demonstrates that Ghana remains a material operation for the group.” During the visit, the Group CEO engaged with key stakeholders across the public sector. Discussions focused on strengthening collaboration and driving investment to support Ghana’s national development, while positioning MTN to continue delivering leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress.

Mr Mupita also met with MTN Ghana’s leadership team and employees, where he reiterated the group’s confidence in the Ghana business and outlined expectations for the year ahead.

These engagements highlighted ongoing investment in network resilience, customer experience, digital innovation, and youth empowerment initiatives.

He also used the opportunity to announce that MTN Ghana has been formally elevated to the status of a major subsidiary within the MTN Group, reflecting its growing strategic importance within the MTN Group.

source : www.myjoyonline.com

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Group, Ralph Mupita, has reaffirmed Ghana’s strategic importance within the multinational telecoms company’s portfolio, announcing plans to invest $1.1 billion in the country over the next three years to accelerate digital and financial inclusion.

The investment, he said, would focus heavily on expanding digital infrastructure, improving quality of service and deepening broadband coverage.

“We already have 5,000 sites where we have telecommunications equipment that connect our customers here in Ghana. Just this year alone, we’re going to add another 500,” he said during an engagement with a cross-section of the media in Accra last Friday.

Ghana’s performance

Mr Mupita, who was answering questions together with the Senior Vice-President of MTN Group, Ebenezer Asante, said Ghana had become one of the group’s most significant operations, citing its strong performance and long-term growth prospects.

He revealed that MTN Ghana would this year be classified as the third major subsidiary of the group, alongside its operations in South Africa and Nigeria.

“Up until the end of last year, we’ve had two major subsidiaries within the context of the MTN Group across all markets serving the 300 million plus customers, South Africa and Nigeria. This year, we are adding Ghana as the third major subsidiary for the whole group, purely as a function of the way it has performed and the potential that we see going forward,” he said.

He also disclosed that MTN Ghana emerged as the best-performing operation across the group’s markets in 2025 under its Million Dollar Challenge which was an internal competition designed to reward excellence in strategic execution, innovation and value creation

Ghana was recognised as the top-performing Operating Company across the entire MTN Group during the competition.

Engagement with stakeholders

As part of his visit to Ghana, Mr Mupita held discussions with the Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Sam George, on improving network performance and exploring the release of 5G spectrum to enhance home and enterprise connectivity.

Additionally, the MTN Group CEO and his team held meetings with the Bank of Ghana and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC).

At the central bank, Mr Mupita said the discussions centred on strengthening collaboration to combat fraud and mobile money scams.

“We’re going to bring artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the ability to deal with scams and fraud that we see particularly in the mobile money market,” Mr Mupita said.

Digital economy

Mr Mupita identified the digital economy and fintech as the two primary engines of growth for MTN Ghana.

On mobile money, he said the company intended to introduce more advanced financial services, while maintaining close engagement with regulators to align with national financial inclusion goals.

Beyond telecoms, he indicated that the group was interested in partnering with the government in areas such as fibre optic expansion, data centres, AI, digital skilling and youth empowerment.

He referenced a recent $2 million commitment by MTN Ghana towards youth coding initiatives, and expressed interest in supporting content creation among young Ghanaians.

“There’s a lot of talent in this country. How do we leverage the digital economy to create a platform for that talent — to build their own creative content they can sell and build businesses around,” he said quizzically.

Drawing parallels with India’s rapid digital transformation over the past decade, Mr Mupita said Ghana had the potential to leapfrog its development ambitions by deploying robust digital infrastructure and inclusive payment systems.

“Nothing stops Ghana from being able to leapfrog its own ambitions by a decade by deploying the digital economy and digital infrastructure going forward,” he said.

Beyond telecoms, he indicated that the group was interested in partnering with the government in areas such as fibre optic expansion, data centres, AI, digital skilling and youth empowerment.

He referenced a recent $2 million commitment by MTN Ghana towards youth coding initiatives, and expressed interest in supporting content creation among young Ghanaians.

“There’s a lot of talent in this country. How do we leverage the digital economy to create a platform for that talent — to build their own creative content they can sell and build businesses around,” he said quizzically.

Drawing parallels with India’s rapid digital transformation over the past decade, Mr Mupita said Ghana had the potential to leapfrog its development ambitions by deploying robust digital infrastructure and inclusive payment systems.

“Nothing stops Ghana from being able to leapfrog its own ambitions by a decade by deploying the digital economy and digital infrastructure going forward,” he said.

Beyond telecoms, he indicated that the group was interested in partnering with the government in areas such as fibre optic expansion, data centres, AI, digital skilling and youth empowerment.

He referenced a recent $2 million commitment by MTN Ghana towards youth coding initiatives, and expressed interest in supporting content creation among young Ghanaians.

“There’s a lot of talent in this country. How do we leverage the digital economy to create a platform for that talent — to build their own creative content they can sell and build businesses around,” he said quizzically.

Drawing parallels with India’s rapid digital transformation over the past decade, Mr Mupita said Ghana had the potential to leapfrog its development ambitions by deploying robust digital infrastructure and inclusive payment systems.

“Nothing stops Ghana from being able to leapfrog its own ambitions by a decade by deploying the digital economy and digital infrastructure going forward,” he said.

Resilience

The Senior Vice-President of MTN Group underscored the resilience of the Ghana operation, noting that it had withstood significant macroeconomic shocks over the past decade, including high inflation, currency depreciation and domestic debt restructuring.

Mr Asante said the business had adopted deliberate financial and operational models to manage external shocks, while continuing to invest in infrastructure and pay dividends.

“Talking about resilience is not just the Ghana situation, but also building resilience based on the geopolitical context within which Ghana will press into the future,” he said.

Mr Asante added that while performance remained strong, transformation was equally critical.

Source : www.graphic.com.gh

In commemoration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Telecel Foundation has trained about 100 students on foundational robotics and digital skills at La Cluster of Schools in Accra as part of its flagship Grow Girls in STEM programme.

The interactive and hands-on session, targeted at majority girls, reflects an intentional focus on closing the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) from an early age.

Facilitated by the Mingo Foundation, the students, divided into groups, rotated from assembling robotic components to testing their creations to gain firsthand experience in how technology shapes the modern world.

Kyerewaa Gifty, a 16-year-old JHS 3 pupil said “This initiative from Telecel Foundation has been very exciting for us.  It is our first time experiencing something like this, and we are truly proud to be part of it. The training has inspired me to pursue an engineering – related programme in the future. “

Beyond technical skills, the programme also gave the pupils the chance to meet female engineering professionals from Telecel, who shared their personal career journeys in STEM. They answered questions, offered mentorship advice, and provided real-life examples of women thriving in fields historically dominated by men.

Grow Girls in STEM forms part of Telecel Foundation’s Connected Learning pillar, which focuses on equipping young people with practical digital skills to prepare them for the future. 

“Research has shown that many young girls are just as curious about STEM, but they often lose confidence as they grow older,” said Komla Buami, Director of External Affairs at Telecel Foundation. “We believe by introducing more young girls to hands-on experiences and careers in robotics and digital world at this age, we help them stay curious, build confidence, and understand that STEM careers are truly possible for them,”

At the end of the training, each student received a free robotics kit to continue practising the design building skills they had learned. The take-home robotics kit ensures that the learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door and allows the girls to experiment, explore, and build confidence in robotics at their own pace.

Mrs. Angelina Appiah, Headmistress of the La Wireless 5 Primary and JHS welcomed the initiative and commended Telecel Foundation for making STEM training kits available for the students. “We are very grateful for this initiative. The availability of STEM training kits has given our students the opportunity to learn in a more practical way. Our students are usually more interested and engaged during hands- on sessions than in purely theoretical lessons, so the GrowGirlsInSTEM initiative  by Telecel Foundation has been very impactful.”

As the training ended, most of the pupils were excited about the experience and eager to apply their new skills at home with renewed energy and curiosity for STEM. Telecel Foundation said it will continue to champion initiatives that close the gender gap in STEM to give girls equal opportunities to learn, grow, and shape the future.

According to the United Nations (UN), women account for 35 per cent of all STEM graduates and only 22 per cent of STEM jobs are held by women. As societies grapple with widening inequalities, the UN believes the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), social science, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and finance is the four-pillar approach to accelerate inclusive and sustainable development for women.

Telecel Ghana has been named a Top Employer for the eighth consecutive year.

The certification, awarded by the Top Employers Institute, places the telecom operator among a select group of employers globally that has sustained high standards in workforce practices and people management across areas such as leadership, learning and development, diversity and inclusion, employee wellbeing, and workplace culture.

“For eight consecutive years, our people practices have met global benchmarks. That consistency tells us we are building a workplace where employees feel valued, supported and empowered to grow,” said Ing. Patricia Obo-Nai, CEO of Telecel Ghana.

The Top Employers Institute assesses organisations through a detailed audit of their human resource policies and employee experience, a comprehensive process that covers six key dimensions such as People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Wellbeing, among others.

Telecel Ghana’s Human Resources Director, Rachael Appenteng, believes that the recognition validates the telco’s people strategy during a period of change and growth.

“Our ongoing efforts to enhance how people experience the organisation continue to focus on building trust, strengthening capability, and creating inclusive systems that empower our people to bring their best selves to work. This recognition reaffirms our commitment to co‑creating an enabling and supportive work culture with our employees,”Rachael said

In reaction to the bestowed recognition, Telecel Ghana employees affirmed that the collaborative and supportive workplace culture is what sets the company apart.

Torikubu Omar is a Management Information Systems & Data Science Analyst who has worked with Telecel for the last three years. She said “This recognition as Top Employer is well-deserved because it reflects what the company embodies and our daily experience. Working at Telecel Ghana feels like belonging to a community that truly sees and supports you. There’s space to learn, to speak up, and to grow professionally and personally as well.”

For Telecel Ghana, the eighth consecutive Top Employer certification comes at a time when the telco’s is expanding its connectivity footprint and investing significantly in technological infrastructure. Against that backdrop, Telecel Ghana believes that a strong internal workplace culture will remain central to improving performance and trust.

The Top Employers Institute is the global authority for recognising excellence in people management practices, certifying organisations that meet rigorous international standards as employers of choice. In 2025, it certified nearly 2,500 companies across 131 countries and regions, collectively impacting more than 14 million employees worldwide.