Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in Asia, is poised to expand into Africa with a telecom venture, targeting mobile broadband customers in a fast-growing market.
According to Harkirit Singh, executive director of Next-Gen InfraCo (NGIC) based in Ghana, Radisys Corp, a subsidiary of Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd., will provide essential network infrastructure, applications, and smartphones for the initiative.
This information was shared before NGIC’s launch announcement, scheduled for Monday in Mumbai, India’s financial capital.
Singh informed Bloomberg News that the company “aims to create accessible digital services in developing markets.”
NGIC’s roster of strategic partners also includes Nokia Oyj, Indian outsourcing giant Tech Mahindra Ltd., and Microsoft Corp., which has intensified its involvement in the telecoms sector after acquiring two cloud networking firms in 2020.
NGIC, slated to commence operations by year-end, aims to offer 5G broadband services to mobile operators and internet service providers in Ghana.
According to Singh, NGIC’s strategic partners, technological prowess, and possession of Ghana’s only 5G license will enable it to establish broadband services at scale, a significant expense for individual mobile carriers.
Ghana with a population of just over 33 million, has three main operators: MTN Ghana, Vodafone Ghana, and state-run AirtelTigo.