MTN and Airtel Partners Together for Network Sharing in Uganda and Nigeria

MTN Group and Airtel Africa, two of Africa’s leading telecommunications companies, have partner together to share network infrastructure in Uganda and Nigeria. The two companies have agreed to share equipment used for mobile network services, enhance coverage, reduce cost and comply with local laws and regulations. The move is being seen as a significant win for millions of people, particularly in rural areas, which often lack access to reliable and affordable digital services.

The MTN-Airtel partnership for network sharing comes at a time when in Africa we have massive demand for digital services. Network building and maintenance, particularly the construction and maintenance of network infrastructure such as 5G networks, can be very costly. By working together, we can prevent duplication of costly infrastructure while focusing on providing first-rate services to our customers.

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MTN’s CEO Ralph Mupita highlighted the importance of this partnership in meeting the growing demand for digital and financial services. He emphasized that sharing resources within regulatory frameworks allows both companies to operate more efficiently and improve returns. Similarly, Airtel Africa’s CEO Sunil Taldar noted that this collaboration prevents unnecessary duplication of infrastructure while ensuring robust and reliable service for their customers.

The fact that MTN and Airtel are partnering together for network sharing is part of a global trend to increase service quality, at the same time cutting costs for telecom companies. Customers will gain the benefit of improved connectivity while operators will be able to focus on improving services without facing the financial burden of building their own networks. This partnership will serve both the telecom companies and the customers in a win-win situation.

Seeing the success of the deals in Uganda and Nigeria, MTN and Airtel are now exploring the possibility of establishing similar arrangements in other African countries such as Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda and Zambia. Through this, they will also be looking at fibre sharing deals to strengthen connectivity across the continent. These are all moves that align with the shared goal of driving digital inclusion and ensuring today’s connectivity is accessible to everyone.

However both companies will continue to compete individually in the markets by offering very different services and products, and together when the cooperation makes sense the customers will get the benefit of more diverse services whilst being able to enjoy higher network quality.

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The partnership between MTN and Airtel, through a shared resource, creates the foundation for a future that is more connected across the continent. And as they further explore their work together in other areas, millions more will gain access to the confidence-boosting digital services that can change lives and communities.

This partnership is not just about technology, but about creating opportunities for people and businesses. Through greater connectivity we can better afford education, health care, financial services and economic growth.

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