Airtel Acquires 5G Spectrum In Tanzania

Indian multinational company, Airtel Africa Plc, has announced its acquisition of an additional spectrum in the East African country, Tanzania. It revealed that it had purchased the  140 megahertz spectrum split between 2600 and 3500 MHz bands for $60.1 million from the Tanzanian Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA).

This new acquisition is meant to support the development of the Airtel network service. The will upgrade its mobile data and wireless home broadband strength, its 5G rollout and ensure significant strength to meet up with the already established data growth in Tanzania.

In a statement that announced the spectrum acquisition by the telecommunications company, it noted that “This investment reflects our continued confidence in the opportunity inherent in the Tanzanian market, supporting the local communities and economy through furthering digital inclusion and connectivity.”

The 5G technology will not be launching for the first time in East Africa. In fact, in March of 2021, Safaricom, a leading telecommunication network, was the first telecom to launch the 5G technology in the region. Safaricom used both Nokia and Huawei for its network infrastructure.