Bharti Airtel has reached the 50 million mobile customers milestone in Africa. The company has achieved this milestone within 17 months of acquiring Zain?s mobile operations in 16 African countries and added 14 million new mobile customers during this period.
Commenting on this, Manoj Kohli, CEO, international operations and joint managing director, Bharti Airtel said, ?This milestone demonstrates our continued dedication and commitment to Africa. We would like to thank our customers for reposing their faith in brand Airtel and we are committed to serving them with world-class services. I would also like to thank the governments and regulators for their support and would like to reiterate that we share their vision of bridging the digital divide with affordable telecom services.?
Airtel?s business model is focused on the introduction of best practices and infusion of global expertise into the markets where it operates. The organisation has strategically partnered with companies such as IBM, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks, Huawei, Spanco, Tech Mahindra and Samsung. The collaborations will sustainably introduce the latest technology and offer competitive services, whilst maintaining a focus on core areas within the business.
Airtel Africa has invested approximately $1 billion in the network infrastructure during the current financial year and is launching the same technology currently being rolled out in Europe and the US.
The organisation has already been awarded 12 3G licenses across its operations and recently launched the first 3G network in Congo B. Earlier this year the company expanded its footprint by being granted a license to operate a GSM network in Rwanda.
In addition to building the necessary infrastructure, Airtel has signed agreements with leading companies like Nokia, Samsung and Blackberry to provide devices that will enable consumers access the services effectively.
