Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA) has received applications for spectrum in the 800MHz band from four companies, it has announced. MTN Ghana, Surfline Communications, Goldkey Telecom and Migson Communications each submitted applications by the 9 November 2015 deadline and now await assessment of eligibility by the NCA. The regulator is planning to auction two blocks of 2×10MHz spectrum in the aforementioned band (valid for 15 years), with a minimum reserve price of USD67.5 million. The regulator noted that applying entities must be registered under the laws of Ghana and duly certified to operate in Ghana, while entities with foreign ownership – companies, joint ventures or consortia – must have a minimum of 35% Ghanaian ownership. Applicants failing to meet the criteria are requested to submit a letter of commitment to have the minimum 35% Ghanaian ownership in place within 13 months from the licence’s validity date, or otherwise face reduction of two years in their licence duration, plus an additional year for each year in which the threshold is violated. The NCA will announce its findings ‘in due course’.