Airtel Nigeria to Launch Second Internet Breakout Point, Boost Network Resilience
Airtel Nigeria has announced plans to launch a second internet breakout point from southern Nigeria, a move expected to significantly improve internet speed and resilience across large parts of the country.
Speaking at a media roundtable in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, said the new breakout point will leverage the two Africa submarine cable, with internet traffic routed through AKwa Ibo in Akwa Ibom State. The development represents a major shift for Nigeria’s internet infrastructure, which currently depends largely on a single submarine cable landing and breakout point in Lagos.
According to Airtel, the additional breakout will provide a faster alternative route for both the northern and southern regions of the country, while strengthening overall network resilience.
Balsingh said the initiative is supported by Airtel Nigeria’s expanding fibre backbone, which now spans almost all states following years of sustained investment.
He noted that after announcing plans to double capital expenditure last year, the company committed to expanding its fibre network by 25%. Intensive rollout activities are currently underway across cities and states, with further fibre extensions planned within major urban centres and between states.
“Over the last two years, we have invested with discipline and clarity to strengthen our network nationwide,” Balsingh said.
“Those investments are now translating into measurable improvements in performance, customer experience and reach, including in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.”
He added that network upgrades will accelerate in 2026 as data consumption continues to rise, stressing that long-term planning will determine future leadership in the telecoms industry.
“At the core of Airtel Nigeria’s quality-of-service drive is the rapid expansion of its network footprint. Since December 2023, the company has increased its number of network sites by 15.5%, adding 2,242 new sites to reach nearly 16,711 nationwide.
“The company said additional deployments are planned for 2026 to further strengthen coverage, capacity and resilience in both urban and rural areas. Network capacity upgrades have also been scaled up, with Airtel completing enhancements on 30% of its sites in 2025 alone, covering more than 5,032 locations nationwide.
“As a result, Airtel said 99% of its sites now deliver high-speed 4G mobile broadband, positioning the operator as a fully nationwide 4G network.
“Airtel Nigeria is also accelerating its 5G rollout. Over the past three months, the company has more than doubled the number of active 5G sites. The upgrade is expected to connect the top 20 Nigerian cities to high-speed 5G networks, with a significant portion of Airtel’s infrastructure in those cities becoming 5G-enabled within the next year.
“Despite the aggressive push, 5G coverage remains limited across the country, including in major cities. Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows that about 55.4% of Lagos State was without 5G coverage as of the fourth quarter of 2025.
“MTN launched Nigeria’s first 5G service in September 2022, followed by Airtel Nigeria in June 2023. Meanwhile, Mafab Communications, the third operator awarded a 5G licence, has yet to roll out commercial services despite announcing a launch in January 2023.”
According to the NCC, however, user experience in areas where 5G is available has largely met the expectations set during the spectrum auction.
