Ghana’s 5G Rollout Raises Aviation Safety Questions | By David Kwakutse
Ghana’s planned rollout of 5G mobile broadband services by December 2026 is set to accelerate the country’s digital transformation, but aviation stakeholders are urging regulators to ensure that faster connectivity does not introduce new risks to aircraft operations and airport safety.
Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Minister, Samuel Nartey George, has announced that government expects to complete the assignment of spectrum for 5G services and begin deployment by December.
The rollout forms part of efforts to improve telecommunications quality and reliability and expand access to faster mobile connectivity.
For the country’s aviation sector, however, the issue is not simply about when 5G services will be launched, but how the technology is deployed, particularly around airports and aircraft approach paths.
Aviation experts have called for deeper coordination between the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). Their concern centres on the possible interference between 5G C-band transmissions and radio altimeters, which provide aircraft with critical height information during approach and landing.
Experience from the United States has heightened those concerns. The rollout of C-band 5G there caused significant disruption because of concerns over possible interference with aircraft radio altimeters and associated safety systems.
Other countries, including Brazil, Canada, France and Thailand, have deployed the technology with mitigation measures designed to protect aviation operations.
The potential impact depends on several factors, including the power of 5G transmitters, the proximity of antennas to aircraft and flight paths, and the degree of separation between the frequencies used by 5G services and aircraft radio altimeters.
The two sectors, aviation and 5G network, require structured coordination, technical assessment and clear operational safeguards to exist side by side.
Experts from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) have called for the aviation sector regulator to have a meaningful role before 5G equipment is deployed near airports or along aircraft approach and departure paths.
Safety assessments can identify potential interference risks and determine appropriate mitigation measures before commercial activation.
The NCA, meanwhile, retains responsibility for spectrum management and telecommunications regulation. A coordinated regulatory framework can therefore allow both authorities to exercise their mandates without creating unnecessary conflict between digital connectivity and aviation safety.
Ghana’s 5G Rollout Raises Aviation Safety Questions | AviationGhana
