Airtel joins Africa’s fibre race with Telesonic
Africa
,
09 Feb 2024
Airtel Africa has entered the intense fight for the continent's fibre market by establishing Airtel Africa Telesonic Limited to manage its fibre assets.
This week, the company unveiled Telesonic, a fibre company that would harness ground fibre assets and submarine cable networks to address Africa's growing need for wholesale data by providing full terrestrial fibre and submarine cable solutions.
According to Airtel, Telesonic's network of over 75,000 kilometres of terrestrial fibre across Airtel Africa's 14 markets is expected to have a long-term positive impact across Africa by improving community quality of life and boosting national economies, enhancing connectivity in key sectors such as education and healthcare, and promoting improved access and efficiency.
Speaking at the launch, Airtel Africa's CEO, Segun Ogunsanya, emphasised the significance of this milestone, saying, "The establishment of Airtel Africa Telesonic Limited underscores Airtel Africa's commitment to addressing Africa's digital revolution needs by providing cutting-edge fibre-optic solutions that will empower businesses, education, healthcare, and communities at large.
“Without a question, Africa is experiencing a digital revolution, with increased demand for data across all industries, particularly among the continent's rising youth population. Our investment represents not only technology advancement, but also a catalyst for change, bringing people and ideas together across borders."
Airtel's ambitions come at a time when there is fierce competition in the fibre sector, with most companies focusing on African markets and investing considerably.
Cassava Technologies-owned Liquid, Vodacom Group, MTN Group and Bayobab are among the companies that have invested millions of dollars to compete for fibre market supremacy.
Analysts expect that data traffic in African countries will more than treble in the next five years, accelerating the race for digital infrastructure.