Airtel has revealed its plan to acquire an additional 10MHz spectrum to its 900MHz in Nigeria. This was revealed in its statement to the Nigerian Stock Exchange and other stakeholders.
According to the telco, they have agreed with Intercellular Nigeria Limited to obtain the required spectrum for $70 million. This is excluding the mandatory fees which will be paid to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
It is important to note that Nigeria’s data market has grown tremendously due to the penetration of affordable smartphones in the country. Researchers have it that smartphone penetration has upsurged to 35% and in the process, spurred data consumption greatly. However, Nigerians’ demand for data borders only on quality data, Airtel aims to correct this.
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The CEO of Airtel Africa, Mr Raghunath Mandava, noted that the additional megahertz will strengthen Airtel’s network and aid in expanding its services across the country. In his words; “data is a key pillar of our growth strategy, driven by increasing 4G networks and supported by the increased affordability and increasing penetration of smartphones.”
“The acquisition of this spectrum will enable us to further deliver on this growth opportunity and continue to offer our Nigerian customers and enhance the user experience,” he said.
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