Collins Sefa Ghana’s internet ecosystem players have outlined a unified strategy to enhance national connectivity, strengthen the Ghana Internet Exchange (GIX), and position the country as a more competitive digital hub in West Africa.
This follows two days of deliberations at the 2025 Ghana Internet Service Providers Association (GISPA) Conference in Accra.
The annual conference, held from 25–26 November under the theme “Ghana’s Digital Future: Policy, Infrastructure, and the Strategic Role of GIX,” brought together service providers, policymakers, infrastructure operators and technology leaders to discuss reforms and investments needed to accelerate the country’s digital transformation.
Rising demand puts pressure on infrastructure
Ghana’s digital sector has expanded rapidly in recent years. National Communications Authority (NCA) data shows that internet penetration surpassed 70 percent in 2024, driven by widespread broadband rollout and increased fibre deployments. Data consumption grew by more than 30 percent year-on-year, reflecting citizens’ growing reliance on internet-based services for commerce, public administration, education and entertainment.
This surge, however, is exerting greater pressure on networks and elevating the need for resilient, high-capacity infrastructure—particularly local interconnection points like the Ghana Internet Exchange.
Industry calls for deeper collaboration
Opening the conference, GISPA President Michael Komla Kumah Nfordzo stressed the need for strong cooperation across the sector to support rising digital demand. He highlighted the hands-on technical training held on Day 1 as critical to strengthening nationwide network performance.
“Our industry must stay proactive, innovative and aligned around common goals,” he said. “Ghana’s digital future depends on the strength, resilience and innovation of the infrastructure we build today.”
He added that GISPA is intensifying engagement with government on interconnectivity challenges affecting public institutions, banking systems and critical agencies—expressing optimism that recent discussions with the Ministry will translate into concrete improvements.
Regulator revises fee structure to improve equity
As part of ongoing regulatory reforms, the NCA has adjusted its annual regulatory fee model, shifting from a flat rate to a 0.5 percent levy on net revenue for internet and public data providers. The Authority says the change is aimed at ensuring a more equitable and sustainable framework. Many conference participants welcomed the decision as a sign of deepening cooperation between industry and regulator.
Government commits to stronger broadband and GIX expansion
Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Hon. Sam Nartey George, underscored the central role of private-sector actors in advancing Ghana’s digital agenda.
“Your discussions directly influence Ghana’s digital transformation,” he said, reaffirming government’s commitment to expanding affordable broadband, improving service quality, removing infrastructure bottlenecks and strengthening digital public services.
He noted ongoing collaborative efforts with GISPA to:
- Expand direct connections to GIX
- Improve redundancy for banks and public institutions
- Enhance Ghana’s potential as a regional digital hub
The Minister added that extending GIX beyond Accra would reduce latency, cut transit costs and improve overall network resilience—while expanding fibre networks could enable Ghana to exchange traffic more efficiently with neighbouring countries.
Experts call for GIX participation, infrastructure sharing
Panelists throughout the conference examined the future of Ghana’s internet backbone, stressing the need for stronger industry participation in the GIX, improved redundancy across networks and increased localisation of digital content to keep more internet traffic within Ghana.
Discussions also explored the technical and commercial promise of cross-border connectivity and the role of infrastructure sharing in reducing operational costs while boosting service quality.
