By Ayomide Otitoju
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has awarded Airtel Nigeria Telesonic Limited, a subsidiary of Airtel Africa, three key telecom licences. These include National Long Distance (NLD), Internet Service Provider (ISP), and Sales & Installation Major licences, enabling the company to expand its fibre network and bolster Nigeria’s growing data services demand.
According to information published on the NCC’s website on Tuesday, these licences will allow Airtel Nigeria Telesonic to build robust infrastructure to support voice, data, and video services nationwide. The regulator noted, “The companies listed below are those that have paid their license fees in full and have collected their license documents for the respective telecommunications undertaking.”
The National Long Distance licence, valid for 20 years, will take effect from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2044, allowing the operator to establish and maintain long-distance communication networks across Nigeria. The ISP and Sales & Installation Major licences, on the other hand, will be effective for five years, from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2029.
The President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, Adeolu Ogungbanjo, welcomed the development, describing it as a boost for competition in the telecommunications sector. “The more licences granted, the better the competition, which will enhance service quality and provide more value for subscribers,” he told TheTrust expressing optimism that the move would lead to improved service delivery and broader network coverage.
In February, Airtel Africa introduced Airtel Nigeria Telesonic Limited as a wholesale fibre arm aimed at revolutionizing the continent’s data market. This followed the 2023 launch of Nxtra, a new data centre business, expanding on Airtel’s Tier 3 data centre established in Lagos in 2022.
Airtel Africa CEO, Segun Ogunsanya, emphasized the continent’s digital transformation, driven by surging demand for data services, especially among Africa’s youth. He highlighted Airtel’s commitment to bridging the digital divide by offering scalable infrastructure to support innovation and economic growth.
Currently, Nigeria has about 35,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables, with plans to extend this by an additional 90,000 kilometers to improve connectivity and digital inclusion. This is part of the government’s broader strategy to connect all 774 local government areas and achieve 70% broadband penetration by 2025, in line with the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy’s goals.
