Airtel Becomes World’s Second Largest Telco

Emma Okonji

Bharti Airtel has announced a major milestone in its global operations, crossing 650 million mobile subscribers worldwide, a scale that now positions the company as the second-largest telecommunications operator globally by customer base.   

Crossing the threshold reflects a network of immense scale, the capacity to reach customers across diverse markets with consistent quality, and the ability to deliver experiences shaped by sustained innovation.

In Nigeria, Airtel has continued to scale infrastructure at a pace unmatched in its recent history. Over the past three years, the company has increased its national site count from just above 13,000 to nearly 17,200 sites, including more than 1,560 added in the last twelve months. The expansion deepens capacity in high-demand corridors and extends high-speed coverage to previously underserved regions.

“The company is advancing plans for its second submarine cable internet breakout point at Kwa Ibo in Akwa Ibom State, early in the 2Africa cable system rollout, to provide faster and more resilient national connectivity across regions. This significant investment aligns with global best practices in network diversity and redundancy, ensuring a more stable digital experience for consumers and enterprises alike,” it said in a statement.