Ghana Telecoms Market Statistics and Forecasts:

With two national operators, a third regional operator and four mobile networks, annual growth has been impressive in Ghana’s telecoms markets,
Notably in the mobile sector where the number of lines exceeds fixed lines by around 10:1. However, at a combined tele-density of little more than 15% and an Internet user penetration of less than 2%, enormous further potential exists. This report contains key statistics and scenario forecasts for the country’s fixed-line Ghana Telecoms Market Statistics and Forecasts:
 markets for the years 2010 and 2015.

World Mobile Subscription exceeds 6.4bn:

Total number of mobile subscriptions worldwide grew approximately by 8% year-on-year exceeding 6.4 billion for the first quarter of 2013, Ericsson’s Mobility Report released this week has revealed.

The report, which aims to share analysis based on traffic measurements, internal forecasts and other relevant studies, has projected that by the end of 2018, mobile subscriptions will reach 9.1 billion.

“The total number of mobile subscriptions globally will exceed the world population in 2014. We will have more mobile subscriptions in the world than there are people in the world," Ericsson Head of Region, Sub Saharan Africa, Fredrik Jejling, said during the launch of the report in Accra on Wednesday.

Of the 130 million mobile net additions the world saw in the first quarter of the year, Africa contributed 27 million.

The report says mobile broadband subscriptions globally also grew drastically at a rate of 45 per cent year-on-year reaching around 1.7 billion for the same period and are predicted to reach 7.0 billion in 2018.

Cellular/Mobile Network in Ghana:

The first cellular phone service in Ghana was initiated by Mobitel in 1992. In that year alone, 19,000 Ghanaians owned mobile phones. In 1998 the number of mobile phone users in the country increased to 43,000 and by the middle of 1999 the number increased to 68,000.

4 companies nowcompete for cellular customers, and usage rose from 22,000 to 132,000 subscribers between 1999 and 2000.
Networks: GSM-900 (digital), (E)TACS and AMPS.

Cellular Market Penetration (September 2003)

Analogue Subscribers	Digital Subscribers	Total Subscribers	Population	Penetration
50,400	651,600	702,000	20.26mil	33,46

Ghana- Broadband & Internet Market Report:

Ghana was amongst the first countries in Africa to achieve connection to the Internet. The rapid growth in this sector in recent years is set to continue in 2006. National and international public data services are provided by more than 20 companies and there are more than 50 VSAT networks operating in the country. Almost 100 new Internet Service Providers (ISPs) were licensed in 2004 alone, bringing the total to more than 140. Broadband ADSL services were introduced in 2003. The government is committed to continuing the privatisation of the national carrier, Ghana Telecom, as well as the fibre network of Voltacom, the country’s electricity company. The full legalisation of VoIP telephony and the implementation of Broadband over Powerlines (BPL, PLC) are other key developments expected in 2006.

Telecommunications in Ghana

Ghana's telecommunications statistics indicated that as of 2012 there was 284,981 telephone lines in operation, and as of 2013 there are 26,336,000 cell phone lines in operation. 

The prefix code of Ghana for international calls is +233.

In 2010, Ghana authorized 2 fixed phone companies to operate in Ghana and authorized 6 mobile phone companies to operate in Ghana of which only 1 was not operating in 2010. Mobile phone companies that are currently authorized for operations are: Mobile Telecommunications Networks  (MTN), Vodafone Ghana acquired by Telecom Ghana, Tigo, Bharti Airtel acquired Western Telesystems Ltd (Westel), Kasapa Telecom Ltd which is a enterprise of Chinese origin, now Expresso Telecom, and Glo Mobile Ghana Limited.

Annual Reports of Leading Telecommunications Operators:

There were no surprises in a recent report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) announcing that energy consumption is steadily rising and will continue to do so in the long-term. The report estimates that global energy consumption will rise by 2.5% annually through 2015, with fossil energy continuing to play a dominant role. And while much of this increased consumption can be attributed to lifestyle advancements in developing countries, the role of first world industry continues to contribute to the world's dwindling energy supply.

According to the annual reports of leading telecommunications operators, the industry is a heavy contributor to the trend in rising energy consumption, with some operators listed as the largest energy-consuming companies in their respective countries. These companies continue to introduce complex information and communications technologies, leading to an ever-increasing number of peripheral equipment running online and an increased demand on the world's energy supply. As a result of this increased demand, both CO2 emissions and energy costs have risen in parallel, putting operators under long-term financial pressure to reduce their consumption in order to meet corporate social responsibility requirements and/or federal regulations, as well as improve their bottom line. The continued increase in data demand and faster transfer rates leads to an increasing need for speed provided by communications equipment, which in turn amplifies the overall power consumption of the telecommunications industry.

Telecom Commission to discuss M&A guidelines on October 29: report

Telecom Commission, the highest decision making body of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), is likely to discuss telecom merger and acquisitions (M&A) guidelines in its meeting on October 29, according to official sources.

"The merger and acquisition guidelines are on the agenda," the sources said.

Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal had said earlier the guidelines will be issued by November 1.

The sources said that DoT is considering allowing market share of up to 50 per cent of the resultant entity in case of merger and acquisitions from 35 per cent earlier.

The DoT sources also said that "transfer of licences consequent to compromise, arrangements or amalgamation of companies shall be allowed where market share for access services in respective service area of the resultant entity is up to 50 per cent".

The companies will also be allowed to retain two blocks of 3G spectrum in respective areas as a result of the merger, they added.

The resultant entity has to surrender the excess spectrum within one year of the permission being granted failing which action will be taken by the government, the sources said.

The guidelines, if approved, is likely to benefit telecom players such as Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular. As per the guidelines, incumbent service providers participating in consolidation activities will have to convert their old licence to unified licence, they added.

In the revised guidelines, a DoT panel on M&A has proposed one year time for completing transaction and exemption from cross holding norms that prohibits incumbent companies from having more than 9.9 per cent stake in competing firms.