Leading mobile operator Airtel Africa announced that it has added some 5,000-km of new terrestrial fibre optic transmission networks to its operations across Africa in the last year, increasing its total fibre inventory to 75,400-km by March 2024 (source: 2024 Annual Report). Airtel Africa has deployed fibre networks across the 14 countries in which it operates in sub-Saharan Africa: Chad, Congo, DRC, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. The operator previously reported a total fibre inventory of 70,500-km in March 2023, 64,500-km in March 2022, 54,500-km in March 2021, and 43,000-km in March 2020 (see Africa: Airtel Africa’s Total Fibre Network In Africa reaches 70,500-km).
During February 2024, Airtel Africa announced the launch of a subsidiary company called Airtel Africa Telesonic Ltd (Telesonic) to leverage its terrestrial fibre optic cable and submarine cable assets to provide wholesale data services in Africa (see Africa: Airtel Africa Launches Telesonic To Provide Wholesale Fibre Services). According to Airtel Africa’s annual report, Telesonic has now connected Africa overland, a breakthrough project that links Mombasa in Kenya with Muanda in the DRC and will significantly improve communications for customers in the DRC, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Telesonic has also announced earlier in June 2024 the activation of an initial phase of the 2Africa submarine cable connecting Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.
Source: Airtel Africa, Business Day, The Citizen
Comments are closed!