Cellular /Mobile Network

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.

Four companies now compete 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

Operator	Network	System	On Air	Pre-paid (10.2003)	Total (10.2003)
Kasapa Telecom	KASAPA	AMPS	June '95	34,000	34,000
Ghana Telecom	C-Com	GSM-900	Oct 2000	189,400	210,500
Millicom	Mobitel Buzz	TACS GSM	Jun '92 June '02	0 0	16,400 74,000
ScanCom	Spacefon	GSM-900	Nov '96	356,100	367,100
Total				593,400	702,000

Spacefon

• Network: GSM
• Started operating in October 1996. Covers most of the district cities. In addition their roaming service is working and they have agreement with around 45 countries and 55 operators.
  Scancom, which launched services in 1996, operates a nationwide mobile phone network using GSM technology. Under the brand name Spacefon, the company has become the leading mobile provider in Ghana, with coverage in all major cities, a 65 percent market share, and approximately 955,000 subscribers as of end-2004. They hope to increase capacity from nearly 1 million subscribers today to 2.7 million subscribers by end-2006, while population coverage is expected to increase from 50 percent today to 70 percent during the same period.
• Website: spacefon.com

Millicom

• Network: ETACS/GSM
• Website: www.mobitelnet.com

Kasapa Telecom

• Network: AMPS
• The company name changed from Celltel earlier in 2003
• CDMA will be introduced, but no timetable has been announced.

Ghana Telecom

• Network: GSM
• Website: http://www.ghanatel.net/