Airtel Nigeria has expanded its telecommunications infrastructure with more than 1,000 additional 5G sites in 2026, as the company steps up efforts to improve network coverage and meet rising demand for mobile internet services.

The Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, announced the expansion on Friday during the launch of Airtel Open Network, a new feature on the My Airtel Africa app that allows subscribers to monitor network performance and report connectivity problems.

Balsingh disclosed that the company installed more than 1,050 network sites during the last financial year, taking its nationwide infrastructure to over 17,000 sites.

He also confirmed that Airtel had deployed more than 1,000 additional 5G sites in 2026 to extend access to high-speed connectivity across Nigeria.

“During the last financial year, Airtel Nigeria added more than 1,050 new sites and has surpassed 17,000 sites nationwide. This year, 2026 alone, Airtel has added more than 1,000 5G sites to date, expanding access to high-speed connectivity across the country,” he said.

The infrastructure investment comes as demand for mobile internet, digital financial transactions and other internet-based services continues to increase, requiring telecommunications operators to strengthen network capacity, coverage and service quality.

According to Balsingh, Airtel’s investments are intended to improve connectivity for Nigerians who rely on mobile networks for business transactions, education, communication and other everyday activities.

Beyond expanding its network infrastructure, the company has introduced Airtel Open Network to improve customer engagement and make it easier to identify and address service-related complaints.

Available through the My Airtel Africa app, the feature gives subscribers access to information about their network experience and provides a digital channel for reporting connectivity challenges.

Balsingh explained that traditional complaint channels, such as call centres and physical customer service outlets, sometimes limited the level of detail available to the company when investigating network problems.

The new platform is expected to provide more precise customer feedback, helping technical teams investigate reported issues and identify locations where network improvements may be required.

However, he clarified that Airtel Open Network would not automatically fix network faults or eliminate service interruptions. Instead, it would provide an additional source of information to support investigations and improve response times.

Airtel is also increasing its physical customer service presence to strengthen support for subscribers.

The company currently operates more than 225 premium experience stores, with plans to expand the number to 500. It also maintains over 9,000 exclusive shops across local government areas and a nationwide network of more than 73,000 retail agents.

The launch of Airtel Open Network follows the company’s introduction of an artificial intelligence-powered spam alert service in March 2025.

Balsingh revealed that the service identified more than 9.6 million suspected spam messages within its first two months of operation.

The initiatives form part of Airtel Nigeria’s wider approach to combining telecommunications infrastructure investments with digital tools to improve network connectivity, customer experience and service delivery.

SOURCE: MSME Africa Online