While AirtelTigo is bleeding in debt, the MTN Ghana Q3 report that was published last year has shown how rich the telecom industry in Ghana is, recording over GHS17 billion in revenues.
The financial report also stated a huge profit after tax up to the tune of GHS5.5 billion, equivalent to about USD 500 million.
This is typically how much Ghanaians spend on telecom services in less than one year, making the telecom industry one of the most viable industries thus far.
The appetite for data remains a key driver of these revenues, but how many Ghanaians are truly connected to drive these numbers.
According to the latest Digital 2025 report by Data Reportal, Ghana has only 38 million connected mobile devices and counting, 70% Internet penetration, and leaving almost 10 million people offline (unconnected).
In 2025, the average Ghanaian spent about 5 hours online with more than 2 hours on social media alone, according to the same report. With a higher penetration and more connected devices (IoT) in the coming years, the industry can double these huge revenues in five years.
Telecom As An Essential Service:
Mobile telecom started as a luxury service that was typically used for business communications.
Today, the story has changed, where telecom has become a daily companion for every citizen, not only for communication, but for everyday lifestyle activities such as money transfers, business transactions, learning, entertainment, media consumption, job creation, etc.
Even more critical is how telecom is powering Economic Growth, bridging Financial Inclusion, driving Governance and Social Inclusion, helping with emergency communication, supporting safety and National Security, and a lifeline for Health and Education during pandemics.
This was evident when Ghana experienced a major network outage last year with two telecom operators caused by an undersea fibre cable fracture.
The huge dependence on telecommunication services is enough reason to treat the industry with extra caution and detailed analysis.
In some countries, telecom is not just another business that may use any means to make profit for shareholders. It is a strategic industry that’s carefully built to power many other sectors like education, agriculture, health, finance, energy, and others to grow a healthy economy that people and businesses can thrive.
In Ghana, such essential services should have a major national interest if the country truly wants to be the digital hub of Africa, driving technology and innovation.
The Ghana Government’s Reset Agenda:
The Mahama government has demonstrated a remarkable turnaround with its reset agenda.
This is evident in the fuel price stability and the historic performance of the Ghana Cedi against the US dollar in less than 12 months in government. However, some citizens still complain of the high cost of basic items.
Nonetheless, government’s reset agenda which has initiatives such as the 24-Hour Economy, Adwumawura, the Big Push, and Agric modernization for sustainable job creation, are what may cause the actual change that the citizens can feel in their pockets.
The next few years will see many economic activities in the country and will definitely need a strong and resilient telecom industry with strategic redundancies to always keep the country running.
Three Players, Big Market, Enough to share
According to www.mordorintelligence.com, Ghana Telecom Mobile Network Market size is estimated to grow from USD 1.93 billion in 2025 to USD 2.25 billion by 2030.
This would be driven heavily by the many economic activities that will grow the appetite for data and other services. This is a big opportunity where AirtelTigo can be empowered to position itself for this growth. AirtelTigo as a strategic technology partner for the reset agenda and other digital initiatives would serve a good cause for the telco and government.
Today, the decision lies with the government to still own 100% of AirtelTigo shares and allocate the needed funding to turn the business around, or partner foreign investors who have expressed interest provide funding and split the ownership.
Either way, the government can still achieve the primary objective of strengthening the telecom sector while getting good returns.
