MTN Unveils $1.1 Billion Ambitious Plan to Expand Northern Coverage Ac

MTN Unveils Ambitious $1.1 Billion Plan to Expand Northern Coverage

MTN Ghana has announced an ambitious plan to expand coverage in the north, investing $1.1 billion in 2026. The company aims to construct 80 new network sites across the five regions of the north.

Northern Expansion Targets Improved Connectivity

Senior Manager in charge of Base Station Subsystems, Mr. Emmanuel Kwei Afutu, revealed that the northern build will be spread across all five regions. The plan includes 38 new sites in the Northern Region, 17 in the Savannah Region, 14 in the Upper East Region, and 11 in the North East Region. An additional site is planned for the Upper West Region, bringing the total for the north to 80.

The expansion is part of a larger plan to deploy 500 new sites nationwide in 2026. Mr. Afutu described this as one of the company’s largest infrastructure deployments in recent years.

Digital Services Drive Demand for Improved Coverage

The expansion comes as demand for digital services continues to rise. In the first half of 2026, MTN mobile money transaction value grew 44.4% year-on-year, while transaction volumes were up 23.3%. This growth underscores the increasing importance of digital services in Ghana.

MTN Ghana’s revenue rose 32.3% to 15 billion cedis in the first six months of 2026, with profit after tax increasing 46.8% to 5.1 billion cedis. The company paid 5.6 billion cedis in direct and indirect taxes over the period.

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Investing in People and Infrastructure

Beyond infrastructure, MTN is also investing in people through the MTN Ghana Foundation. Initiatives include the MTN Skills Academy, which aims to train more than 100,000 young people in digital and financial skills, and the Bright Scholarship, which has supported over 1,200 students.

The company has also rolled out water, sanitation, and hygiene projects in schools across the north. Mr. Afutu noted that challenges of affordability and digital literacy remain and called for continued collaboration with government, regulators, and communities.

Looking Ahead to a Brighter Future

As MTN Ghana marks 30 years in the country, the company's ambition has shifted from simply connecting people to connecting people to opportunities. With its $1.1 billion investment plan, MTN is poised to play a significant role in driving economic growth and development in the north.

Source: JOY