Airtel Africa, a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, with a presence in 14 countries across Africa, announced yesterday that its Nigerian subsidiary, Airtel Networks Limited (Airtel Nigeria), has purchased 100 MHz of spectrum in the 3500MHz band and 2x5MHz of 2600MHz from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for a gross consideration of $316.7m, payable in local currency.
At the official exchange rate of N451.58/$, this transaction is worth N143 billion. And according to the subscribers’ data provided by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Airtel Nigeria controlled 27.16% of Nigeria’s GSM market as of November 2022. It should be noted that the nation’s telecommunications sector contributed 12.85% to Nigeria’s GDP as of the end of the third quarter of 2022.
Airtel Nigeria further stated that the “additional spectrum will support our investments in network expansion for both mobile data and fixed wireless home broadband capability, including 5G rollout, providing significant capacity to accommodate our continued strong data growth in the country and exceptional customer experience.”
Airtel Nigeria is Airtel Africa’s largest market, with significant growth potential. The company led the industry in providing affordable 4G services across the country following the deployment of a fully modernised network which facilitated a 4-fold increase in data traffic over the last three years. The
penetration of data customers in Nigeria remains low, providing significant opportunity for future growth.
“The acquisition of 5G spectrum will underpin our growth strategy by enabling the launch of higher speed connectivity to enhance customer service and accelerate digitalisation for consumers, enterprises and the public sector. The key benefits of 5G will include higher speeds, lower latency, significant network capacity as well as an improved user experience.
“Furthermore, the deployment of 5G will accelerate the availability and efficiency of fixed wireless access products across the country, contributing towards Airtel Nigeria’s progress in meeting the National Broadband Plan targets. The acquisition of 2600MHz spectrum will complement our already strong spectrum position in the market to enhance network capacity and futureproof our growth opportunity,” the company said through a statement released by Simon O’Hara, group company secretary.
Segun Ogunsanya, CEO, Airtel Africa, while commenting on the development, said the move was made due to the potential for future growth in Nigeria.
He said: “Nigeria is a market with enormous potential for future growth in mobile services. Investment in new technologies and local infrastructure to enable this growth is a strategic priority for the Group and will ensure we are able to provide reliable and affordable services to local communities across the country. 5G is critical to these ambitions, and we look forward to launching new services to drive further digitalization across the country, facilitate economic progress and transform lives across Nigeria.”
Airtel Africa is a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, with a presence in 14 countries in Africa, primarily in East Africa and Central and West Africa. Airtel Africa offers an integrated suite of telecommunications solutions to its subscribers, including mobile voice and data services as well as mobile money services both nationally and internationally. The Group aims to continue providing a simple and intuitive customer experience through streamlined customer journeys.
