MTN Group and Airtel Africa, both leading telecommunications services operators in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), have entered into network infrastructure sharing deal in Uganda and Nigeria and also ensuring strict compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements in the two countries.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the two telecoms companies disclosed that the partnership would enhance their drive to deepen digital and financial inclusion in the African continent.
Among other objectives, the infrastructure sharing pact between the two telecoms giants, aims at improving network cost efficiencies, expanding service coverage, and offering enhanced mobile services to millions of customers, particularly those in un-served and under-served rural areas in the two countries
Speaking on the deal, MTN Group President/Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Mupita, said operators on the continent were identifying sustained demand for digital services, adding that the partnership will help to meeting the growing demand for telecom services.
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The industry chief said: “As MTN, we are driven by the vision of delivering digital solutions that drive Africa’s progress. We continue to see strong structural demand for digital and financial services across our markets.
“To meet this demand, we continue to invest in coverage and capacity to ensure high-quality connectivity for our customers. That said, there are opportunities within regulatory frameworks for sharing resources to drive higher efficiencies and improve returns”, Mupita assured.
In his remarks, Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Africa, Sunil Taldar, pointed out that the two companies initiated the partnership as part of their desire to move beyond competition to achieve a common goal.
He clarified: “As we compete fiercely in the market on the strength of our brand, services and our offerings we are building common infrastructure, within the permissible regulatory framework, to provide a more robust and extensive digital highway to drive digital and financial inclusion at the same time avoiding duplication of expensive infrastructure to drive operational efficiencies and benefits for our customers.”
Industry analysts believe that the collaboration between the MTN Group and Airtel Africa aligns with emerging trends in the global telecoms industry space as players begin to leverage innovative and pro-competitive infrastructure and solutions to achieve cost-efficient services delivery across geopolitical regions.
