The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has held high-level talks with the leadership of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Chief Executives of MTN Ghana (Stephen Blewett) and Telecel Ghana (Ing. Patricia Obo-Nai), as well as leadership of the National Communications Authority (NCA), to deliberate on the announced new national SIM registration exercise and the roadmap for 5G deployment in Ghana.
The meeting, also attended by the CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah, NCA Director-General Rev. Ing. Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko and senior Ministry and NCA officials, focused on Cabinet-approved reforms aimed at strengthening national security, improving quality of service, and accelerating Ghana’s digital transformation
Fresh SIM registration exercise approved
Addressing participants of the meeting, the Minister disclosed that Cabinet has approved the completely new SIM registration exercise following what he described as an extensive review of the previous process.
According to him, the earlier exercise suffered significant challenges, including weak biometric enforcement, data inconsistencies, and registration fraud among others. He stressed that the new approach would not be a continuation of the old system but a reset designed to ensure credibility and security
Under the new framework:
- The NCA will serve as the central repository of SIM registration data.
- Biometric verification will be mandatory.
- A Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) will be introduced to enable cross-network blocking of stolen or fraud-linked devices.
- A revised Legislative Instrument (L.I.) is being prepared to regulate back the exercise
Industry leaders, while supporting the objective of strengthening the system, raised some operational concerns.
5G policy reset and spectrum auction
On 5G, the Minister revealed that Cabinet has approved the removal of the exclusivity clause under the previous wholesale 5G framework, paving the way for a new competitive spectrum auction process
He clarified that the wholesale model has not been cancelled but that the new framework will allow network-based rollout, with the objective of ensuring universal deployment across operators.
Among the key highlights:
- A new 5G spectrum auction is expected to be concluded soon.
- The rollout is expected to be coordinated to prevent market distortion.
Industry leaders underscored the capital-intensive nature of 5G, noting that deployment will require significant spectrum acquisition costs, network upgrades and infrastructure expansion. They called for reasonable pricing, predictable policy direction and streamlined regulatory approvals to enable rapid deployment.
Collaborative path forward
The meeting concluded with agreement on structured technical engagements between the Ministry, NCA, Telecoms Chamber and operators to refine implementation modalities for both the SIM registration exercise and the 5G auction framework.
Immediate next steps include finalising the revised L.I., and publishing auction documentation.
The engagement signals what participants described as a renewed collaborative approach between government and industry as Ghana prepares for a new phase of digital regulation and next-generation connectivity.
