The government has moved to secure the future of struggling mobile operator AT (formerly AirtelTigo) through a merger with Telecel Ghana, a deal it says will protect jobs and create a stronger competitor in the country’s telecom market.

At a staff engagement in Accra, Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, assured AT workers and subscribers that their interests will not be sacrificed in the process.

“This is not a re-application process. It is a continuation of your contracts. Every one of you will be absorbed, unless you personally choose to leave,” the minister told employees. He stressed that all 300 permanent staff of AT will be retained under the new entity.

Mr George admitted that AT’s financial health was deteriorating, with the company incurring more than US$10 million in losses within the first eight months of 2025. The merger, he explained, was necessary to cut costs, eliminate duplication, and rescue a company on the brink.

“It makes no sense for two networks to operate separately on the same tower, both paying twice while both struggle. A merger is the smart and sustainable choice,” he said.

Already, more than 3.2 million AT subscribers have been migrated onto Telecel’s network through a national roaming arrangement, which the minister described as “98% smooth”.

Outlining the integration plan, Mr George said the process would unfold in three phases:

1. Technical migration – nearly complete, with roaming already operational.
2. Human resource alignment – ensuring all staff are absorbed before the end of September.
3. Commercial restructuring – to be finalised soon, establishing the framework for the merged entity.

The minister did not shy away from the financial realities. He pegged the investment required to sustain the new operator at around US$600 million over the next four years. Government, he said, would inject resources from spectrum sales and invite co-investment from private partners.

The AT–Telecel merger, if successful, would consolidate Ghana’s telecom market further, where MTN continues to dominate. Critics, however, are already questioning whether the merger is a rescue mission for a failing operator or a genuine attempt to build a viable second force against MTN’s market control.

For now, the government is banking on the deal to steady AT’s fortunes and to prevent another collapse in a sector where competition has been steadily eroded.

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