Amid increasing competition among service providers in Zambia’s mobile communications space, Airtel Zambia has confirmed the roll out of 138 new 4G sites nationally to improve network accessibility.

Airtel Zambia said it will continue to invest in network expansion and distribution, and it plans to launch its own 5G, although no exact time frame has been mentioned.

Airtel Zambia Managing Director Manu Sood said the company has established more than 1,600 4G sites across the country.

Sood said the company’s extensive reach in rural areas is the result of it having won an additional 10MHz of spectrum through competitive bidding in 2022, which brings its total spectrum to 20MHz in the 800MHz frequency band.

The company has also purchased additional spectrum from the telecommunications industry regulator, the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA).

ZICTA believes this investment will improve the operator’s Quality-of-Service through an enhanced voice user experience with faster call setup, cleaner voice quality and fewer dropped calls.

Sood said, “We are proud of providing the highest number of 4G sites in Zambia and these additional 138 sites will further augment our 4G Konse (4G everywhere). This along with our new spectrum in 800MHz has provided customers with the best-in-class indoor experience, as well as further reach in rural areas. As the year starts, we reaffirm our commitment to providing a superior network to the people that will enable further digitalisation and financial inclusion.”

This rollout reinforces Airtel Zambia’s position as the country’s second largest operator after MTN Zambia.