Airtel Africa Plc plans to allocate a significant portion of its $1.1 billion capital expenditure (CAPEX) for 2026 to spectrum acquisition and fibre infrastructure as the telecommunications group moves to expand network capacity and meet rising demand for data services across its African markets.
Sunil Taldar, chief executive officer of Airtel Africa, disclosed this during an interview with Arise News, saying the company’s investment strategy is centred on expanding coverage, increasing data capacity and improving customer experience.
“Africa presents a huge opportunity with smartphone penetration. To realise this opportunity, what we need to do is expand coverage,” Taldar said.
He said the company’s capital expenditure would prioritise infrastructure capable of supporting the continued growth in data consumption, particularly mobile networks and fibre.
Airtel Africa expects spectrum acquisition to account for a substantial share of its planned investment as it seeks to strengthen its mobile network capacity.
“Big investment is going into acquiring new spectrum wherever spectrum is available. So this is for our mobile growth,” Taldar said.
The company is also increasing its focus on home broadband, which it sees as an emerging growth opportunity as internet adoption expands across the continent.
In Nigeria, Airtel has already secured regulatory approval from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to renew its 900MHz spectrum licence.
The renewal fee is $37 million, equivalent to N50.5 billion at an exchange rate of N1,365 per dollar.
The renewed licence will run for 10 years, from December 1, 2031, to November 30, 2041, following the expiration of the company’s existing licence.
Airtel Africa’s infrastructure expansion is taking place amid persistent damage to telecommunications infrastructure across its markets.
Taldar identified fibre cuts, vandalism and the theft of batteries, cables and diesel as major threats to network availability and service quality.
Telecom operators recorded an average of about 500 fibre cuts weekly during the first quarter of 2026, adding pressure to operators already spending heavily on network expansion and maintenance.
The Airtel Africa CEO called for stronger protection of telecom infrastructure and urged Nigerians to report incidents involving the vandalism or theft of telecom equipment.
The Federal Government has designated telecommunications infrastructure as critical national assets, but repeated attacks continue to disrupt network services.
Airtel Africa’s planned investment comes as the group continues to record growth in customers and data usage.
The company’s customer base across its 14 African markets increased to 189 million from 169.4 million, while its data customer base approached 90 million.
Revenue rose 31 percent year-on-year to $1.85 billion during the quarter.
Data revenue contributed $750 million, while voice revenue stood at $640 million. Mobile money generated $404 million, with other services contributing $129 million.
Average revenue per user also increased to $3 from $2.8 a year earlier.
The growth underscores the increasing demand for digital connectivity across Airtel Africa’s markets and the need for sustained investment in spectrum, fibre and network capacity.
For Airtel Africa, the 2026 CAPEX programme represents a major infrastructure push aimed at expanding coverage while positioning the group to capture rising data and broadband demand across the continent.
