Airtel Nigeria Launches 5G Network

Airtel Nigeria, a prominent telecommunications company in the country, has announced the official launch of its 5G network. Femi Oshinlaja, the Chief Commercial Officer of Airtel Nigeria, disclosed that the initial availability of the 5G service will be in four states: Lagos, Ogun, Abuja, and Rivers, with plans to expand to other cities nationwide.

This launch comes as part of the ongoing race towards 5G network deployment in Nigeria, with Airtel joining the ranks of MTN and Mafab Communications, who had previously introduced their own 5G networks.

Airtel Nigeria currently holds a market share of 27.01 per cent of the country’s subscribers, according to data from the Nigeria Communication Commission. The company’s market share is second only to MTN and Globacom, which control 39.79 per cent and 27.28 per cent respectively.

In January 2023, Airtel Nigeria acquired a 5G spectrum, along with an additional spectrum for its 4G network, for a total investment of $316.7 million from the Nigeria Communication Commission.

Airtel Nigeria plans to utilize the 3.5GHz spectrum to deploy its 5G offering, providing faster speeds and lower latency, ultimately enhancing the overall user experience. Additionally, the 2600MHz spectrum will be utilized to boost the network’s capacity.

5G technology represents the fifth generation of mobile network technology, following the progression from 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. This global wireless standard aims to connect a wide array of devices, machines, and objects, offering remarkable features such as superfast download speeds of up to 50Gbps, high-quality streaming, low latency, increased availability, improved reliability, higher performance, and stable connectivity.

The introduction of Airtel Nigeria’s 5G network marks a significant milestone in the evolution of telecommunications within the country. This advancement will bring enhanced connectivity and improved user experiences to customers in the selected states, propelling Nigeria’s telecommunications sector forward.

Airtel Network Limited operates as a subsidiary of Airtel Africa Plc, a leading Pan-African telecommunications company with operations in 14 countries across the continent. The launch of the 5G network further solidifies Airtel’s commitment to delivering advanced telecommunications services to its customers in Nigeria.