Airtel, one of Nigeria’s popular telecommunications providers is set to launch its 5G mobile network today as part of efforts to improve productivity and create competition in the Nigerian telecoms industry.
The introduction of Airtel’s 5G network is expected to attract new customers, improve its market share and support the Nigerian authorities’ ambitions for digital transformation by accelerating broadband adoption.
According to the latest data from the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), Airtel currently holds 27.01 percent of the national mobile subscriber base.
Airtel’s entry into the 5G space marks its venture into the ultra-broadband segment that has been predominantly dominated by MTN since its launch of the latest-generation technology in September 2022.
Meanwhile, Mafab Communications has been providing 5G services since January of the same year. Airtel announced the acquisition of a 5G spectrum, and additional spectrum for its 4G network, in January, with a total investment of $316.7 million.
This license acquisition increases the number of 5G licenses in Nigeria to three. In 2021, MTN Nigeria and Mafab Nigeria Communications Limited secured the two available 100 MHz TDD slots of the 3.5 GHz band.
As Airtel Nigeria rolls out its 5G network today, we can only anticipate its impact on the market, but the possibilities are endless.
“The future is now.”
