Airtel Nigeria recently announced that it now provides high-speed 4G mobile broadband across 99% of its sites nationwide.
During a media briefing in Lagos, Mr Dinesh Balsingh, the managing director and CEO of Airtel, confirmed that the company has become a complete nationwide 4G network operator. He highlighted that since December 2023, Airtel has boosted its site coverage by 15.5%, adding 2,242 new locations, bringing its total to almost 16,711 locations nationwide. The company plans to continue expanding its footprint in both urban and rural areas in 2026.
In addition to increased coverage, Airtel has significantly upgraded its network capacity. In 2025, enhancements were made to 30% of its sites, impacting over 5,032 locations across Nigeria.
Balsingh provided a thorough update on Airtel’s investments in network, fibre, and technology, emphasising that the upgrades implemented over the past 12 to 24 months aim to bolster capacity, enhance coverage, and provide long-term stability in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
“We have systematically invested to fortify our network nationwide over the last two years. These investments are yielding tangible improvements in performance, customer experience, and accessibility, particularly in underserved and remote areas,” Balsingh stated. He noted that upgrades would accelerate in 2026, asserting that “With the rising demand for data in Nigeria, those who plan will lead the industry, which is why we are speeding up these upgrades to meet future demand.”
Chief Technology Officer Harmanpreet Singh Dhillon also spoke about the importance of spectrum depth in enhancing performance. “We have increased our 4G spectrum by 10MHz and are optimising our holdings. These steps enable us to deliver higher data speeds, improved throughput, and more reliable service, particularly in high-traffic areas,” he explained.
Moreover, Airtel is fast-tracking its 5G rollout, with the number of active 5G sites having more than doubled in the last three months. This expansion is expected to bring 5G connectivity to the top 20 cities in Nigeria, making a large part of Airtel’s network in these areas 5G-enabled within the following year.
Airtel is also broadening its fibre backbone across nearly all states. Following a decision to double its capital expenditure, the company is on track to expand its fibre network by 25%, with ongoing intensive rollouts in cities and along interstate routes.
Additionally, Airtel plans to activate a second internet breakout from the South via the 2Africa submarine cable, with traffic routed from Akwa-Ibom State. “This will create a faster and alternative route for significant portions of both the North and South, enhancing resilience across the entire ecosystem,” Balsingh concluded.
