Airtel Africa launches fiber optic subsidiary to meet demand for wholesale connectivity in Africa
February 12th 2024
Telecoms company Airtel Africa announced last week that it had launched Airtel Africa Telesonic Limited (Telesonic), a subsidiary specializing in the provision of fiber optic bandwidth. With a network of over 75,000 km, Telesonic will leverage terrestrial fiber assets and submarine cable systems to meet the growing demand for wholesale data in Africa.
This initiative aims to establish local entities in key markets where Airtel Africa operates to oversee all fiber assets and manage operational aspects of the wholesale business. Telesonic will offer a range of varied products such as national and international line rental; dedicated Internet access; IP and IP transit services; multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) services…
According to Segun Ogunsanya (pictured, centre), CEO of Airtel Africa, the creation of Telesonic is part of Airtel Africa’s commitment to meeting Africa’s needs for the digital revolution by providing solutions state-of-the-art fiber optic technology. The company has invested in several international submarine cable projects, the most recent of which are Google’s Equiano and Meta’s 2Africa.
“ There is no doubt that Africa is experiencing a digital revolution, with increasing demand for data across various sectors, particularly from the continent’s young population. Our investment is not only a technological breakthrough, but also a catalyst for progress, connecting people and ideas across borders ,” added Ogunsanya.
In addition to improving broadband connectivity in Africa, Telesonic’s activities are expected to enable Airtel Africa to diversify its sources of revenue. The company had already launched, in December 2023, a data center subsidiary called Nxtra by Airtel (Nxtra). During the first nine months of 2023, the African subsidiary of Indian telecoms company Bharti Airtel generated revenue of USD 3.86 billion, of which USD 1.34 billion came from data services.
Source: Agency EcoFin
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