Airtel Kenya has acquired 100MHz of spectrum in the 3,500MHz band for KES8.4 billion (about US$65 million), securing 25-year rights to the frequencies.
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) approved the acquisition, subject to standard conditions.
According to the GSMA, the 3.5GHz band is widely used for commercial 5G services worldwide, making the acquisition a significant capacity boost for Airtel's next-generation network.
The deal follows Airtel's acquisition of a new 25-year operating licence in August 2026, for an undisclosed fee, according to managing director Djibril Tobe.
The licence ended a prolonged period of regulatory uncertainty. Airtel's original licence expired in 2015, after which the operator relied on permits inherited from YuMobile. An out-of-court settlement with the CA in 2022 granted it temporary authorisation until January 2027.
The investment comes as 5G adoption accelerates in Kenya. CA figures show that 5G subscriptions reached 2.1 million in June 2026, up 75% from 1.2 million a year earlier.
5G users are also significantly heavier data consumers. In the June quarter, they used an average of 64.4GB a month, compared with 15.8GB for 4G users and 8.3GB for 3G users.
Safaricom launched commercial 5G services in October 2022, with Airtel following in 2023. By March 2024, Safaricom had deployed 803 5G sites, compared with Airtel's 690.
Safaricom continues to dominate Kenya's mobile market, accounting for 64.4% of mobile broadband subscriptions and 69.8% of total mobile subscriptions as of June 2026.
Beyond mobile connectivity, Airtel is expanding its home and business broadband offering. In April 2026, it launched Xstream Fibre packages ranging from KES1,999 (about US$15) for 15Mbps to KES4,999 (about US$39) for 100Mbps.
The operator is also pursuing 5G-based fixed wireless access, while its Nxtra data centre in Kenya is scheduled for completion in July 2027.
However, its wholesale fibre subsidiary, Airtel Kenya Telesonic, has begun voluntary winding-up proceedings after recording no revenue in 2024 or 2025 and a net loss of KES16.1 million (about US$125,000) in 2025. The move does not affect Airtel's retail fibre business.
The spectrum acquisition also comes amid an ongoing dispute over spectrum pricing. Jamii Telecommunications has challenged the CA's 2025 spectrum pricing framework in the High Court, with Safaricom joining the case. The revised fees were suspended in April 2025.
Safaricom has also secured a new 25-year operating licence for an undisclosed renewal fee. Its licence expenditure amounted to KES16.3 billion (about US$126 million) in the financial year ended March 2026.
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