Airtel Deepens Network Investment To Advance Digital Infrastructure

Airtel Nigeria has unveiled a strategic scale-up of its network infrastructure projects following a significant increase in capital expenditure.

This is even as the telecommunications provider disclosed that its investments, now effectively doubled, are being channelled into four major areas that include expanded national coverage, enhanced network capacity through additional spectrum and radio deployments, intensified fibre-optic rollout, and satellite connectivity enabled by global partnerships.

The chief technology officer of Airtel Nigeria, Harmanpreet Dhillon, made these assertions during his appearance on NTA International and NTA News24’s Economy Watch.  He emphasised that the company’s infrastructure roadmap is driven by a singular objective: building a more inclusive, resilient, and future-ready digital network for Nigeria.

Dhillon said, “Airtel’s priority is nationwide coverage and this is being reinforced through robust capacity augmentation, such as deploying more radios on 2G and 4G, while simultaneously upgrading and expanding our 5G capabilities.”

According to Dhillon, the fibre network remains critical for supporting high-capacity backhaul required by next-generation technologies.

Hence, Airtel is complementing these efforts with satellite-based coverage by entering into strategic alliances with global satellite operators, Starlink and OneWeb.  These partnerships are designed to bring dependable internet access to Nigeria’s most geographically isolated communities.

“We are committed to ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind in the digital era by integrating satellite and fibre technologies. We are establishing a hybrid network capable of delivering reliable connectivity to cities and remote villages,” said Dhillon.

As part of its broader infrastructure development agenda, Airtel Nigeria is constructing its second subsea cable landing station in Port Harcourt. This move aims to decentralise international connectivity, which currently concentrates around Lagos. This facility is expected to enhance international bandwidth availability and improve network resilience in the southern region.

Additionally, Airtel is building a next-generation data centre to support high-compute workloads, cloud services, and AI-driven applications. The facility is engineered to meet the growing demand for enterprise digital solutions and is aligned with Nigeria’s broader smart city ambitions.

Meanwhile, the company’s intensified infrastructure agenda aligns with Nigeria’s national digital economy strategy, supporting objectives such as smart city development, fintech enablement, and widespread access to online services.