MTN Group and Airtel Africa have reached an agreement to share their network infrastructure in Nigeria and Uganda.
This move, announced on Wednesday, is aimed at improving mobile service delivery, cutting costs, and reaching more people—especially those living in rural and hard-to-reach areas.
The new partnership allows the two telecom giants to use the same towers, equipment, and other network resources. It is expected to make mobile and internet services more available and affordable.
Although both companies will continue to operate independently and compete in the market, they believe that sharing infrastructure will help reduce unnecessary spending and avoid building duplicate systems.
The deal follows the rising demand for data services across Africa. With more people using smartphones and digital tools, telecom providers are under pressure to offer better service and wider coverage.
Instead of each company building separate networks, they now plan to combine resources where regulations allow.
The agreement also opens the door for similar deals in other African countries like Congo-Brazzaville, Rwanda, and Zambia.
Future plans include sharing Radio Access Network (RAN) facilities and possibly working together on fibre network projects to boost internet speed and coverage.
By working together, MTN and Airtel say they want to support digital growth across the continent.
Their goal is to make it easier for people to access mobile and internet services, no matter where they live, while also making their operations more efficient.
