Ghana’s broadband industry is bracing for a new wave of competition as French media and telecommunications powerhouse Canal+ prepares to roll out its high-speed fibre internet service in the country.
Through its internet subsidiary, Vivendi Africa (GVA), Canal+ plans to launch fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) services in Accra and Kumasi, aiming to deliver unlimited, high-quality internet at what the company calls “revolutionary prices.”
The move is expected to shake up Ghana’s internet landscape, which has long been dominated by a handful of players offering relatively expensive fibre services.
GVA’s entry will mark Ghana as the company’s 10th African market, following successful rollouts in Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Gabon, Rwanda, and Uganda. Across these countries, GVA has connected millions of homes and businesses with over 40,000 kilometres of fibre infrastructure, establishing a reputation for reliable and affordable broadband.
Speaking after meeting the Minister for Communication, Samuel Nartey George, GVA’s Chief Executive Officer, Jean-François Dubois, said the company’s mission is to democratize access to quality internet in Africa.
The CEO indicated that the company believes that affordable, high-speed internet should not be a luxury, but a necessity for development.
The minister welcomed the initiative, describing it as timely and transformative. He noted that the entry of Canal+ into Ghana’s broadband market will not only enhance competition but also push existing service providers to improve their pricing and quality of service.
“I’m fully committed to initiatives that lower data costs and expand fibre connectivity across Ghana. If this offering delivers what you’ve described, high-speed, unlimited internet at competitive rates, I’ll personally champion its rollout,” the Minister indicated.
To him, healthy competition is what keeps the market fair, innovative, and beneficial to the consumer.
GVA’s entry, if successful, could put pressure on existing fibre operators like MTN, Vodafone, and Teledata, who have struggled to expand coverage beyond urban centres. Subscribers often complain about high installation costs, unreliable speeds, and inconsistent customer service.
The challenges are the problems GVA’s entry promises to address head-on.
Canal+’s arrival also follows its recent acquisition of a controlling stake in South Africa’s MultiChoice Group, signaling a broader ambition to blend entertainment, technology, and connectivity into a unified digital experience for African consumers.
This anticipated competition could be a major turning point. More players in the fibre sector mean better internet speeds, lower prices, and wider coverage, which are key ingredients for achieving the government’s Digital Ghana vision.
