MTN Ghana says it plans to invest $1.1 billion over the next three years to expand its telecommunications network, roll out 5G technology and strengthen its mobile money and digital services as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations.

The investment will focus on network expansion, improved service quality and new digital infrastructure, the company said.

Chief Executive Officer Stephen Blewett said the milestone reflected MTN’s role in Ghana’s digital transformation over the past three decades.

“Over the years, we have moved from voice to SMS, to data, to mobile money, fundamentally changing how people live and transact,” Blewett said at the launch event in Accra.

He said the company would continue to invest despite economic pressures, noting the high cost of importing telecom equipment, which is largely dollar-denominated, while revenues are earned in local currency.

MTN plans to spend about $380 million in 2026 alone and deploy roughly 800 new network sites nationwide to boost coverage and capacity.

Blewett said the next phase of growth would be driven by fifth-generation (5G) networks and artificial intelligence, which he said would reshape digital services and connectivity.

“The future is not just about 4G or 5G as technologies, but what they enable,” he said. “We are moving into an AI-driven world where digital services will become more integrated and intuitive.”

He added that MTN’s mobile money platform would expand beyond transfers into savings, loans and insurance products, deepening financial inclusion.

Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George welcomed MTN’s investment but urged the company to improve service quality and address concerns over dropped calls, coverage gaps and customer service.

He said Ghana’s telecom sector had expanded significantly from limited fixed-line services in the 1990s to more than 40 million mobile subscriptions today.

However, he stressed that MTN’s dominant market position came with greater regulatory responsibility.

“MTN’s market dominance comes with greater responsibility, particularly in improving service quality and transparency,” he said.

The minister said the government aimed for 5G coverage of up to 70% of the population by Ghana’s centenary in the coming decades, and pledged continued policy support for digital innovation and infrastructure expansion.

MTN Ghana also announced customer reward promotions running from June to December 2026 as part of its anniversary celebrations.