Ghana has deployed a commercial long-term evolution (LTE) network in what LTE service providers Alcatel-Lucent and Surfline Communications claim is the first fourth-generation network in Western and Central Africa.
Under the terms of the contract, Alcatel-Lucent will provide hardware and software, along with installation, optimisation, maintenance and managed services.
Surfline Communications is the West African country's first LTE service provider and was established to provide wireless broadband and related services to Ghana.
ICT economy
Alcatel-Lucent says the LTE network comes in response to rapidly increasing data demand driven by the proliferation of lower cost smartphones in Ghana.
According to the World Bank, telecoms is Ghana's main economic sector, due to the country's liberal ICT policy.
As of the end of last year, Ghana had over 100% cellphone penetration - largely due to multi-SIMs. The total number of active cellphones in Ghana, as at November 2012, stood at 25.3 million - marginally higher than the country's estimated population (25.2 million).
Ghana has six mobile network operators - MTN, Vodafone, Tigo, Airtel, Glo Mobile and Expresso. MTN currently leads the market with more than twice the market share of its main rival Vodafone (11.8 million compared to 5.4 million). Tigo is the country's third largest operator, with about 3.7 million subscribers.
African boon
While financial and rollout timeline details have not been provided, the service providers say the LTE network will initially cover the capital city, Accra, followed by "all major cities" and, ultimately, a nationwide rollout is planned.
Surfline says the Ghanaian market has matured beyond the products and services currently available in the market, especially when it comes to the data sector.
In Africa in particular, LTE is expected to transform the use of technology with regards to mobile consumers, healthcare, transport, energy, security, agriculture, sales and payments industries and infrastructure.
Daniel Jaeger, VP of Alcatel-Lucent in Africa, says Africa represents a major opportunity for growth in ultra-broadband.
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