The failure to establish a legally binding framework for sharing fibre infrastructure among telecommunications operators is driving up network deployment costs and constraining access to affordable broadband, the Ghana Digital Economy Outlook 2026 has found.
The report, commissioned by the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations and the German development agency GIZ, with technical support from MGA Consulting Ghana Ltd., identifies a binding fibre-sharing framework under the National Communications Authority (NCA) as the first of six priority actions to address the country’s digital infrastructure gaps.
It describes the absence of such a framework as a major constraint on infrastructure development, noting that operators continue to invest in separate networks rather than share existing infrastructure.
“Infrastructure growth is currently hindered by the absence of a formal, legally binding fiber-sharing policy,” the report states. “Without a regulatory mandate to share passive assets like ducts and poles, operators face excessive capital expenditures and create redundant networks.”
The higher cost of building and maintaining separate networks also has consequences for consumers, contributing to the high cost of internet access, particularly for low-income households.
In the national survey, 68.6 per cent of respondents identified expensive data and poor connectivity as their main barriers to digital access. The report notes that broadband is generally considered affordable when the cost of one gigabyte of data does not exceed two per cent of average monthly income. However, this threshold remains out of reach for many low-income households.
Telecommunications providers also face financial pressures that limit network expansion. Some 46.2 per cent of service providers identified financial constraints as a major obstacle, with infrastructure deployment costs, taxes and energy prices adding to the burden.
The report argues that Ghana’s digital divide is no longer primarily a question of device ownership but largely reflects the quality and affordability of connectivity, as well as gaps in investment across the digital ecosystem.
“The digital divide is therefore less about owning a digital device and more about the connectivity quality, affordability, and ecosystem investment gaps,” it states.
This concern is reflected in public priorities, with 53.7 per cent of respondents calling for the government to prioritise infrastructure investment.
The Eastern Corridor fibre network demonstrates the benefits of shared infrastructure, with its open-access model allowing multiple telecommunications operators to extend connectivity to areas previously considered commercially unviable by private providers.
A similar approach is being used by the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), which deploys solar-powered base stations to extend coverage in rural communities while allowing competing operators to use shared infrastructure.
The proposed measures include a legally binding fibre-sharing policy under NCA supervision and a national fibre infrastructure blueprint to prevent damage to underground networks during road construction and other public works.
Solar-powered hybrid systems are also proposed to extend broadband coverage to rural communities where limited commercial returns discourage private investment in conventional network infrastructure.
Other proposals include establishing regulatory fibre-sharing marketplaces and piloting shared radio access network infrastructure involving GIFEC and telecommunications operators. The report further calls for reforms to the Universal Service Fund to direct more resources towards rural broadband, affordable devices and digital literacy.
Unclear institutional mandates also threaten coordination of digital infrastructure development, with overlapping responsibilities among key public agencies creating uncertainty over their respective roles.
Stakeholders raised concerns about unclear divisions of responsibility among the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), NCA and GIFEC, particularly over the regulation of data centres.
“Without clearer divisions of responsibility, infrastructure investments may remain uncoordinated,” the report warns.
