Public private partnership with Govt of Ghana, Ascend Digital, K-Net and MNOs in collaboration with strategic technology partners  Radisys, Nokia and Tech Mahindra  to deliver affordable mobile broadband across Ghana

AT Ghana and Telecel Ghana  aim to leverage India’s successful  model of Affordable handsets, digital platform, localized content and applications  

MUMBAI (INDIA) AND ACCRA (GHANA): The Government of Ghana, Ascend Digital, K-NET, Radisys, Nokia, and Tech Mahindra, with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) AT Ghana and Telecel Ghana, today announce their partnership on a new shared infra Next-Gen InfraCo. (NGIC). This collaboration aims to  deliver affordable 5G mobile broadband services across Ghana. The Next-Gen Infrastructure Company (NGIC) has been awarded 5G license and expected to launch 5G services across Ghana within the next six  months, followed by expansion to other parts of Africa.

Next-Gen Infrastructure Company (NGIC) will be the first 5G Mobile Broadband Shared Infrastructure Entity to build a nationwide  4G/ 5G network . The company will also work with MNO partners to  launch affordable 4G / 5G-enabled FWA CPEs  and smart phones in Ghana within this calendar year. The partnership aims to enhance the  lives of Ghanaians by introducing digital services in education, healthcare, and digital payment transactions through P2P (peer-to-peer), P2M (peer-to-merchant) and M2M (merchant-to-merchant) systems , thereby  reducing -digital divide and promoting financial inclusion. Additionally, the multiplayer partnership will support NGIC in the entire deployment of network infrastructure and associated services, as communications service providers (CSPs) are looking to address enterprise and consumer markets with enhanced digital services. To achieve this, Tech Mahindra will build a Cloud Native Core Network powered by leading OEM (original equipment manufacturer) platforms. 

NGIC plans to adopt India's successful model of affordable handsets, digital platforms, and localized content and applications. The goal is to replicate this high-speed mobile data model across Africa, beginning with Ghana.

Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister for Communications and Digitalization for the Republic of Ghana, said, “The creation of a shared 5G Mobile Broadband Infrastructure is critical for delivering affordable, high-speed data access to the people of Ghana and help achieve our Digital Ghana vision. The creation of NGIC as a neutral, shared platform, accessible to all mobile network operators and tower companies, will help to expand 5G services rapidly across the country. We are inspired by India's digital infrastructure and low-cost mobile data usage and keen to replicate it in Ghana.”

Mikko Lavanti, Senior Vice President, Middle East and Africa at Nokia, said, “Ghana holds immense potential for mobile broadband growth on the back of an unmet demand for connectivity. Establishing an Open Access Network like NGIC will foster innovation and create numerous opportunities across various sectors. We are proud of our partnership with NGIC in helping Ghana realize its digital vision and unlock its full potential.

Arun Bhikshesvaran, CEO, Radisys, said, "Connectivity for all, through the use of open and disaggregated multi-access solutions, is a key component of Radisys’ initiatives to bridge the digital divide. By bringing Fixed Wireless Access alongside 4G and 5G cellular services to help drive economic growth and digital inclusion, Radisys looks forward to helping Ascend and NGIC build a disruptive and affordable shared broadband infrastructure across Ghana. In addition, our communications platform and digital applications will help create new digital experiences that empower the Ghanian community and foster sustainable and inclusive development." 

Manish Mangal, Chief Technology Officer, Telecom & Global Business Head, Network Services, Tech Mahindra, said, "Our partnership with Next Gen Infra Co. is based on a shared vision for digital connectivity and providing Network-as-a-Service to innovate and bring cost efficiency to the telecom market in Ghana and Africa. Echoing our promise to scale at speed, we aim to rapidly advance operations by building a Cloud Native Core Network with leading OEM platforms combined with Tech Mahindra's automation platform, netOps.ai. Together with NGIC, we will support the complete network infrastructure deployment and introduce high-speed 4G/5G services in the region."

Harkirit Singh, CEO, Ascend Digital and Executive Director, NGIC, said, “NGIC intends to launch its wholesale 4G/ 5G Network as a Service and make it available to all mobile network operators within the next  six months. We have proven strengths of our partners – Radisys, Nokia, and TechM, to scale the network and deliver affordable mobile broadband services to all Ghanaians. We intend to gradually expand to other parts of Africa as well. We will tap the capital markets and bring in strategic investors as and when required.”

Mohamad Ghaddar, COO, Telecel Ghana, said, "Telecel encourages initiatives like NGIC’s neutral and ‘Network as a Service’ model, which will help create diverse network options for all telecom operators in Ghana. We are looking forward to the implementation of NGIC model with the right partners, which will enable us to leverage their infrastructure to deliver enhanced connectivity, better coverage, and innovative services to our services."  

Leo Skarlatos, CEO, AT Ghana, said, "This partnership will enable us to leverage a neutral, shared platform and scale up our services across Ghana. We are confident that our customers will experience enhanced network quality and affordable services that they deserve. We look forward to working with NGIC and the MOCD, to contribute to the country’s digital transformation agenda.”

About Ascend Solutions

Based in Ghana, Ascend Digital Solutions collaborates with public institutions across Africa to unlock the potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Its mission is to establish a resilient and secure infrastructure ecosystem that caters to the technological and socio-economic aspirations of African communities and governments. For more information visit https://ascenddigitalsol.com/.

About Radisys

Radisys, a Jio Platforms company, is a global leader in open telecom solutions and digital services. Its disaggregated platforms and integration services leverage open reference architectures and standards combined with open software and hardware, enabling service providers to drive open digital transformation. Radisys offers an end-to-end solutions portfolio encompassing digital endpoints, to disaggregated and open access and core solutions, to immersive digital applications and engagement platforms. Its world-class and experienced network services organization with full stack of AI centric tools and systems that deliver end-to-end services across mobile, home and enterprise to help service providers build and operate highly scalable and high-performance networks at optimum total cost of ownership. For more information, visit www.Radisys.com. Radisys® is a registered trademark of Radisys. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Tech Mahindra

Tech Mahindra (NSE: TECHM) offers technology consulting and digital solutions to global enterprises across industries, enabling transformative scale at unparalleled speed. With 145,000+ professionals across 70+ countries helping 1100+ clients, TechM provides a full spectrum of services including consulting, information technology, enterprise applications, business process services, engineering services, network services, customer experience & design services, AI & analytics, and cloud & infrastructure services. It is the first Indian company in the world to have been awarded the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Terra Carta Seal, in recognition of actively leading the charge to create a climate and nature-positive future. Tech Mahindra is part of the Mahindra Group, founded in 1945, one of the largest and most admired multinational federation of companies. For more information on how TechM can partner with you to meet your scale at speed imperatives, please visit https://techmahindra.com