Airtel Africa has announced the launch of Airtel Africa Telesonic Limited (Telesonic), a new fibre bandwidth service aimed at meeting the rising demand for wholesale data across Africa. Leveraging ground fibre assets and submarine cable systems, Telesonic offers comprehensive terrestrial fibre and submarine cable solutions, said Airtel Africa in a LinkedIn update last week. This means the operator's fibre assets and subsea cable systems will be in the new unit, Telesonic.
Also Read: Airtel Launches Nxtra Data Center Business in Africa to Accelerate Digital Transition
Launch of Nxtra
The establishment of this unit follows Airtel Africa's December 2023 launch of Nxtra, a new data center business, as reported by TelecomTalk. Nxtra's goal is to develop one of Africa's largest networks of data centers, strategically positioned in major cities across Airtel Africa's footprint. These high-capacity data centers will complement the company's existing edge sites.
The first Nxtra facility in Lagos, Nigeria, expected to be live in mid-2025, will deliver 34 MW of total power and is designed to host high-density racks, integrating the latest best practices in construction to achieve a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.3.
Telesonic: Meeting Africa's Data Demands
Airtel Africa said Telesonic, with a network covering over 75,000 kilometres of terrestrial fibre across Airtel Africa's 14 markets, is expected to bring significant benefits to the continent. It aims to improve the quality of life for communities and boost national economies by enhancing connectivity in critical sectors such as education and healthcare, thereby fostering better access and efficiency.
Commenting on the launch of Telesonic, Airtel Africa said, "The establishment of Airtel Africa Telesonic Limited underscores Airtel Africa's commitment to addressing Africa's needs for the digital revolution by providing cutting-edge fibre-optic solutions that will empower businesses, education, healthcare, and communities at large."
"No doubt, Africa is experiencing a digital revolution, with surging demand for data across various sectors especially by the continent’s growing youth population. Our investment signifies not just a technological advancement but also a catalyst for progress, connecting people and ideas across borders."
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Airtel Nigeria, IHS Towers Renew Partnership
In early February 2024, as reported by TelecomTalk, Airtel Nigeria, a subsidiary of Airtel Africa, and IHS Nigeria and related entities, subsidiaries of IHS Towers, announced a commitment for Airtel Nigeria to take 3,950 tenancies over the next five years, with the majority anticipated in 2024/2025. Additionally, they extended the term of their existing tenancies, covering approximately 6,000 tenancies, until December 2031.
Airtel believes Nxtra, and now Telesonic, will offer secure and scalable integrated solutions to global hyperscalers, large African enterprises, startups, SMEs and governments.
In India, Telesonic Networks Limited, a subsidiary owned by Bharti Airtel Limited, has merged with Airtel. The merger occurred on February 1, 2023, and Telesonic no longer exists as a separate entity. Its business operations will now continue under the name of Bharti Airtel, with all of Telesonic's fiber assets merged into Airtel's business.
