Infratel Corporation Limited and Zambia’s leading telecoms company – Airtel Networks Zambia Plc have signed a long-term tower co-location agreement that will allow Airtel to lease multiple installation ready towers across Zambia’s ten provinces.
According to a statement made available to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, by Airtel Corporate Communications Manager Yuyo Kambikambi, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in Lusaka on 22 March 2021 with Infratel assuring Airtel of its continued service to avail telecommunication tower infrastructure in order to also expand capacities in already covered areas.
Infratel’s Chief Executive Officer Freelance Bwalya said that as Mobile Network Operators (MNO’s) continue to transform from being communication service providers to digital service providers, the need to leverage telecom infrastructure sharing was becoming stronger.
Bwalya expressed delight to have this MOU in place with Airtel as telecom infrastructure sharing always significantly reduces the time and capital requirement for MNOs to quickly setup and expand their coverage.
He said the signing is significant because this cements an already existing and growing relationship that the company has with Airtel, and it is pleasing to note that the partnership is anchored on shared values such as the promotion of use of Green Energy at tower sites and reduced environmental impact of tower structures.
And speaking on behalf of Airtel Zambia, Supply Chain Director Martin Jowi welcomed the partnership and said this would enable the Company to focus its energy and resources on product and service innovation to enhance the customer experience for all Zambians.
He said he was delighted to be signing this MOU with Infratel and like his counterpart had said, this is a long-term agreement between the two institutions as they continue to reach out to every corner of Zambia expanding the 4G reach.
Co-location of towers is considered as an efficient model as network operators’ capital investments which institutes a large share of their operating costs is freed up. Mobile network operators are then able to use the freed up investment capital or cash that would have been used in tower construction and maintenance to invest in enhancing their network capacity and coverage especially to rural areas.
