Vodafone Ghana plans to expand its mobile network by up to 30% by the end of October.
The company is currently deploying approximately 300 4G and 3G sites across the country, with about half of the work already completed. In addition, Vodafone is increasing the capacity of its existing sites, aiming to meet the rapidly rising demand for data services.
“Increased access to the internet is inextricably linked to the growth and the socio-economic wellbeing of the nation,” said the CEO of Vodafone Ghana, Patricia Obo-Nai. “This is why we continue to invest in our network to ensure that we provide best-in-class coverage and customer service for Ghanaians in every corner of this country, leaving no one behind. We believe that by granting access to every Ghanaian, they can take advantage of digital advancement and its limitless possibilities,” she added.
The financial details of the network investment have not been announced yet. Vodafone has made it clear that it intends to leave the Ghanaian market for a while, which means the operator's network expansion comes at a good time.
In fact, Vodafone is currently attempting to sell its 70% stake in Vodafone Ghana to African operator Telecel for an undisclosed sum, with Telecel promising to invest $500 million to boost the company’s infrastructure rollout over the coming three years. Ghana's National Communications Authority (NCA) has, however, been reluctant to approve the deal, saying they are in favor of a larger operator taking over the business.
“We were concerned that Telecel was a very small operator and didn’t have the technical and financial muscle to be able to take on the challenging environment that we have in the telecom sector here in Ghana,” said Ghana’s Communications and Digitalization Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful. Telecel and Vodafone are reportedly reentering negotiations with the regulator despite this rejection.
