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 on the planet by customer base.

Crossing this 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. This expansion deepens capacity in high-demand corridors and extends high-speed coverage to previously underserved regions.

The latest industry data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) underscores the significance of this growth. As of December 2025, Nigeria recorded 145,141 base stations across 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G layers. Of this national infrastructure, Airtel accounts for 46,918 base-station layers, reflecting its substantial contribution to the country’s radio access network and its push to absorb rising data consumption.

Nearly 99 percent of Airtel Nigeria’s sites are now 4G-enabled, positioning the operator as one of the few with a near-ubiquitous high-speed broadband footprint. Thousands of sites have been upgraded for capacity in the past year alone, enabling improved speeds and more stable performance during peak usage.

That expansion underpins Nigeria’s rising internet adoption. According to the latest regulator figures, Nigeria’s internet penetration recently climbed above 50%, with Airtel recording among the largest monthly increases in new internet subscribers, driven by network upgrades across states and rural corridors.

Strategic Connectivity and Redundancy

Airtel is also tackling a critical infrastructure challenge for the Nigerian digital economy: reliance on a single international internet gateway. 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.

Digital Finance at Scale: SmartCash

Airtel’s digital finance arm, SmartCash, has gained traction in Nigeria’s competitive mobile money ecosystem, now serving over 3 million active users. The platform is supported by an expansive agent network and digital services that lower barriers for everyday financial transactions and savings.

Outstanding Human Touch: Retail Reach

Across Nigeria, Airtel’s retail distribution network stands as one of the sector’s most extensive, with approximately 4,000 exclusive outlets bringing services, support, and products closer to customers in small towns, communities, and high-traffic urban hubs. That footprint drives both access and engagement in a market where localized presence remains a competitive differentiator.

As Nigeria’s digital economy continues to evolve, Airtel is committed to sustained innovation — from expanded fibre backbones and advanced mobile broadband to future-ready services that include satellite-enabled solutions and enterprise-grade digital platforms. These efforts help ensure that connectivity, commerce, and creativity thrive across Nigeria and beyond.

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that compensation of subscribers for poor service quality, such as persistent network outages or failed calls is automatic.

This initiative aims to ensure fairness by mandating that operators provide automatic compensation, such as airtime credits, for failing to meet regulatory Quality of Service Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

According to the NCC, operators are required and mandated to identify affected subscribers and provide compensation directly.

In a framework for compensation of consumers published on its website, NCC said that it has directed Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to compensate subscribers affected by prolonged or repeated poor quality of service experience within specific Local Government Areas where operators fail to meet regulatory Quality of Service Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

The NCC also stated that the directive does not replace existing consumer protection mechanisms.

The NCC, said the directive adds a direct compensation mechanism for affected subscribers and aligns with measures set in existing legislations such as the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations 2024 and the Quality of Service Regulations 2024.

This directive applies to only Mobile Network Operators licensed and operating in Nigeria that have failed to meet their Key Performance Indicators on Quality of Service. For Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating in Nigeria, a compensation framework is already in place.

To be eligible to receive compensation

. You experienced poor network service in an affected Local Government Area; and

• You made at least one outgoing revenue generating event (billed call, SMS, or data session) during the relevant period.

The compensation covers service failures affecting voice, data, or SMS services.

Operators are required and mandated by existing regulations to monitor their network performance across locations and service disruptions against Quality of Service KPIs.

This enables them to identify affected subscribers without the need for individual complaints.

Only service failures that fall below the defined thresholds set by the Quality of Service Regulations issued by the NCC will qualify for compensation.

Short, isolated interruptions and immediately remedied interruptions may not qualify

Compensation will be provided in the form of airtime credits.

This airtime credit will not have utilisation restrictions, and subscribers will be able to use it for voice calls, USSD sessions, data subscriptions, etc on the operators’ network.

Federal Government has announced plans to deepen collaboration with private sector players and other stakeholders in a bid to strengthen Nigeria’s cybersecurity architecture and response systems.

NDPC

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, disclosed this in a recent press statement, noting that the government is considering the establishment of a Cybersecurity Coordination Council.

According to the minister, the proposed council is aimed at enhancing national cyber resilience and ensuring a more coordinated response to emerging cyber threats across public and private institutions.

Tijani emphasised that cybersecurity must be treated as a collective responsibility involving government, industry, and civil society.

“Cybersecurity is a shared national responsibility. Protecting Nigeria’s digital economy requires strong partnerships, trusted collaboration, and collective vigilance across government, industry, and civil society,” he said.

He added that through sustained collaboration, Nigeria would strengthen its capacity to detect cyber threats early, respond effectively, and build a resilient and trusted digital ecosystem.

The minister also called for increased stakeholder participation in shaping a sustainable, partnership-driven cybersecurity framework capable of deterring cybercriminal activities and safeguarding citizens, businesses, and critical digital infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has commenced an investigation into an alleged data breach involving Remita Payment Services Ltd., Sterling Bank, and other entities.

In a statement signed by its Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, Babatunde Bamigboye, the commission said notices of investigation were issued to relevant parties on April 1, 2026.

The NDPC noted that affected organisations and individuals are currently providing information to aid its inquiry into the incident.

“The aim of the investigation is to ensure that data subjects are protected with appropriate technical and organisational measures,” the statement read.

It added that the probe would examine the types of personal data involved, the scope and nature of the alleged breach, potential risks to data subjects, and mitigation steps taken where breaches are confirmed.

The commission further disclosed that its National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Vincent Olatunji, has directed a broader review of organisations operating digital payment systems.

According to the NDPC, entities found to be non-compliant with provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, particularly regarding technical and organisational safeguards, would be scrutinised as part of efforts to maintain the integrity of the nation’s data protection ecosystem.