Airtel Africa expands network, AI services to boost customer experience

DUBAI: Airtel Africa is expanding its network, digital services and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions as it seeks to improve customer experience for its 183.5 million subscribers across the continent.

According the company, it has succeeded to add more than 3,250 new sites and 3,200 kilometres of fibre over the past year, alongside increased investment in retail outlets, distribution channels and AI-powered tools aimed at making its services more accessible and responsive to customers.

Speaking at the start of Customer Service Week 2026, Airtel Africa Chief Executive Officer Sunil Taldar said the company is committed to going “the extra mile” by listening to customers, understanding their needs and acting on their expectations.

According to Mr Taldar, the company’s efforts to digitise services and expand connectivity are helping create opportunities for people, businesses and economies across Africa.

Additionally, Mr Taldar also highlighted the company’s recent commercial deployment of direct-to-device satellite connectivity in underserved rural communities, enabling customers with compatible smartphones to stay connected in areas beyond the reach of terrestrial mobile networks, provided they have a clear view of the sky.

Moreover, Airtel Africa has also introduced its free AI-powered Spam Alert service to protect subscribers from spam and potentially fraudulent messages.

The service identifies and blocks suspected spam SMS messages while providing customers with real-time alerts, as employees join frontline teams across the company’s 14 markets during Customer Service Week to engage directly with customers and identify ways to improve service delivery.