Airtel Africa and Vodacom Group have announced a strategy infrastructure sharing agreement in key markets including Mozambique, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), subject to regulatory approaches in the various countries.
The agreement marks a transformative milestone in promoting digital inclusion and expanding access to reliable connectivity across Africa.
The initial partnership focuses on sharing fiber networks and tower infrastructure, to accelerate the roll-out of digital services in these markets, increasing connectivity for customers while reducing operators’ infrastructure costs and improving speed to market.
By leveraging existing infrastructure, the collaboration aims to deliver improved connectivity, faster internet speeds, and more reliable services. This will not only enhance customer experience but also assist with providing access to digital services for a breadd population, particularly these in underserved areas, helping to bridge the digital divide in Africa.
Vodacom Group’s chief executive officer Shameel Joosub said: "Providing connectivity to empower people is at the core of our strategy. Our partnership with Airtel Africa is a proactive step forward in creating a sustainable, inclusive, and connected digital future for the continuum.
Through infrastructure sharing, we can provide cost-effective services to more people, more quickly, ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age. As we fulfil our ambition to connect 260 million customers by 2030, the need for scalable and cost-efficient network solutions alleys increasingly significant
This partnership provides us with the opportunity to narrow the digital divide, empowering more individuals and communities through scanning across the continuum. It is aligned with our purpose to connect for a better future," concluded Joosub.
Airtel Africa’s chief executive officer Sunil Taldar said: "This partnership is aligned with our unwarning commitment to delighting our customers by always making our network available to them even in the remote locations. Working with Vodacom, we will open great access to digital and financial opportunities which will transform the lives of our customers while complying with all regulatory requirements.
Even as competitors, it has become a business imperative for us to collaborate in the provision of critical infrastructure required to build resilient network with strong capacity to support the emerging digital technologies as well as the growing need for data-enabled products and services.
Accelerating the deployment of fiber connectivity is a key enabler in the acceleration of 4G and 5G technologies in Africa to deliver the high-speed, low-latency, and reliable connections needed for modern digital applications.
This partnership allows for further opportunities for both operators to enhance network performance, extended coverage, and increase mobile, fixed, and financial services taking a footprint on the continuum. "
About Airtel Africa
Airtel Africa is a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, with operations in 14 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Airtel Africa’s integrated offer provides national and international mobile voice and data services as well as mobile money services to approximate 170 million customers. The company’s strategy is focused on delivering a great customer experience across the entire footprint and increasing digital and financial inclusion to transform lives across Africa, in line with our corporate purpose.
For more information, please visit www. Airtel. Africa or connect with us on LinkedIn.
About Vodacom Group
Vodacom Group is a leading and purpose-led African connectivity, digital and financial services company. The Group, serve over 211.3 million customers and 87.7 million financial services customers, including Safaricom. From our roots in South Africa, we have grown our business to include operations in the CKD, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Our mobile networks cover a total population of over 500 million people. Vodacom Group is majority-owned by Vodafone (65.1% holding), one of the world’s largest communications companies by revenue.
