Sunil Taldar, CEO of Airtel Africa, and MTN Group president and CEO, Ralph Mupita.

The GSMA, which represents the world's mobile operators and companies in the larger telecom ecosystem, has commended MTN Group and Airtel Africa's new infrastructure-sharing agreements in Uganda and Nigeria as a step towards greater digital and financial inclusion.

According to the group, voluntary network sharing is a critical enabler in bridging Africa's connectivity gap, particularly in rural and neglected areas where commercial rollout is typically unfeasible.

MTN Group and Airtel Africa stunned markets last week after announcing network sharing pact in Uganda and Nigeria.

This collaboration, according to GSMA, illustrates G6’s (Airtel Africa, Axian Group, Ethio Telecom, MTN Group, Orange Middle East and Africa, and Vodacom Group) dedication to closing the investment gap and accelerating broadband infrastructure to promote sustainable connectivity throughout the region, as noted in priority two of the Communique issued by G6 in 2023.

“These agreements also reflect international best practices critical to reducing cost and improving efficiencies of digital infrastructure roll out,” says GSMA.

It adds: “Momentum is building across the continent - from recent joint 5G investments in Morocco to partnerships like this - which show that network sharing isn’t just a technical solution; it’s a strategic and social imperative.

“GSMA will continue working with operators, governments, and partners to scale these efforts and ensure they are market-driven, sustainable, and inclusive.”