Airtel Nigeria expands 5G coverage with over 1,000 new sites deployed in 2026 – CEO

Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer Dinesh Balsingh said the operator has deployed more than 1,000 5G telecom towers in 2026 as part of its sustainability investment drive and effort to improve network quality for subscribers.

In his opening address at the launch of Airtel Open Network on Friday, October 30, the Airtel Nigeria Chief said these infrastructure investments aim to increase connectivity and support for customers, and strengthen its ability to respond to subscribers’ needs. 

The development comes at a time when Nigerians are demanding stronger networks amid surging internet penetration, increased smartphone use, and the need for high-speed network infrastructure. 

Also Read: Airtel Nigeria launches Open Network to address network issues through customer feedback.

With an additional 1,000 sites to meet high-speed internet demand, Airtel wants to complement the Open Network platform, an initiative that strengthens the operator’s efforts to better connect with users and improve the customer experience. To achieve this, Dinesh Balsingh said it requires sustained investment in infrastructure, sound engineering, effective maintenance and supported customer service. 

“In the last financial year, Airtel Nigeria added more than 1,050 new sites and has surpassed 17,000 sites nationwide. Our expectation includes communities that are providing conventional infrastructure that can be particularly challenging.” 

“This year, 2026 alone, Airtel has added more than 1,000 5G sites to towns, expanding access to high-speed connectivity across the country. We are also expanding our physical presence, so customers can reach us at any time they want,” the Airtel Chief said on Friday. 

The investment drive complements what the parent company, Airtel Africa, revealed in its latest earnings statement. In terms of infrastructure deployment, the group said it spent ₦884.8 billion ($657 million) on CAPEX and added 4,200 sites during the half-year to September 2026. 

Balsingh noted that the operator added more facilities to improve customer relationships and help understand the challenges faced by the population they serve. 

“We have over 9,000 exclusive shops across every local government area, and we have more than 73,000 retail units nationwide,” he said, adding that “We now have more than 225 renewed exchange resources and plan to take that to another 500.”

Airtel Nigeria acknowledges network challenges 

In its attempt to understand customers’ needs and provide meaningful engagement with their feedback, Airtel Nigeria launched the Open Network platform. The initiative allows subscribers to view network coverage, check mobile tower locations, and report signal issues directly.

The introduction results from a recent increase in consumer complaints and how challenging it is when subscribers are faced with poor network or disruption in making calls and having the desired internet speed.

“We know and acknowledge that there are still challenges to address, and we take those concerns seriously,” Balsingh stated. 

On its drive to solve the challenges, Balsingh said that “for both retail and for enterprise customers, our ambition remains to provide best-in-class quality of service  and we understand that it must be earned through consistent performance.”

For its half-year ended September 2026, Airtel Nigeria’s revenue grew by 45% to ₦1.37 trillion ($1.014 billion), surpassing the ₦941.2 billion ($699 million) generated in the same period last year.

Also, data revenue expanded by 52.7% to ₦732.6 billion ($544 million), up from ₦480.7 billion ($357 million), reflecting increasing smartphone penetration and growing data consumption. Voice revenue grew 37.8% to ₦498.24 billion ($370 million), while underlying EBITDA increased 50.2% to ₦793.15 billion ($589 million), with the EBITDA margin expanding to 58.1%.

Total customer base increased by 15.1% to 61.7 million from 53.6 million in the previous period, while internet subscribers have now reached 32.9 million from 29.5 million. 

Also Read: NCC CEO, Maida, urges telcos to boost network quality with increased investment.