Airtel Africa to Invest $1.1bn for Network Expansion across Africa
Jessica Erobomhan The Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Africa, Sunil Kumar Taldar, has said that the company has earmarked $1.1 billion for expansion and upgrade of its network across its operations
Airtel Africa, led by CEO Sunil Kumar Taldar, has set aside $1.1 billion to expand and upgrade its network infrastructure across its African operations. This significant increase in investment, from $120 million to $390 million across 14 markets, with Nigeria being the primary focus, aims to enhance customer experience. Taldar highlighted that currently only half of the population in these markets utilize telecom services or smartphones, presenting a vast opportunity for growth.
The surge in data consumption, exceeding a 50% increase, is driven by the widespread reliance of people on the internet for various activities such as work, education, healthcare, and entertainment. The two primary challenges faced by the telecom industry, according to Taldar, are unreliable electricity and the vandalism of telecom infrastructure.
Most of the company's base stations continue to run on diesel generators due to the inconsistent national power supply. Running on diesel incurs costs nearly four times higher than utilizing grid electricity. In Nigeria, diesel prices have seen a sharp rise from approximately N900 to N1,800 per litre in recent months. Taldar emphasized that the telecoms network and power supply are intrinsically linked, posing a critical challenge that needs to be addressed.
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