Airtel Kenya Exits Fibre Market After Two Years

Airtel Africa is shutting down its Kenyan wholesale internet and fibre business two years after launching the operation, following continued losses at the unit.

Airtel Telesonic, which provides fibre connectivity and other data services to businesses, recorded a loss of Ksh16.1 million in 2025, up from KSh2.9 million the previous year.

The company has surrendered its licence to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), which has approved the closure. The Registrar of Companies has also begun the process of deregistering Airtel Telesonic.

Airtel Telesonic Shuts Down

It filed a notice to surrender its Network Facilities Provider Tier 2 (NFPT2) licence with the Communications Authority (CA) at the end of 2025.

The company later submitted its licence booklet to the regulator on February 6, 2026, as it awaited the completion of the regulatory process.

CA subsequently approved the closure, paving the way for the Registrar of Companies to begin deregistering the subsidiary. The company is expected to be struck off the register by December 2026.

The NFPT2 licence under which Telesonic operated is valid for 15 years and costs Ksh15 million. Airtel Kenya Telesonic reported spending Ksh 1.2 million on licence and regulatory fees in 2025, according to disclosures by its parent company, Airtel Africa.

The subsidiary’s 2025 loss increased from the Ksh 2.9 million recorded in 2024, the year it was launched.

Also Read: Airtel Reports Delays in Airtime and Data Bundle Purchases via M-PESA

How Telesonic Was Set Up

Airtel Africa launched Telesonic in February 2024 as a wholesale fibre business designed to manage and provide connectivity using the group’s terrestrial fibre assets and submarine cable systems.

The unit was created to serve the wholesale market rather than direct consumer customers. Its services include dedicated internet access, leased lines and other connectivity products for businesses, internet service providers, carriers and other wholesale operators.

At the time of its launch, Airtel Africa said Telesonic would leverage more than 75,000 kilometres of terrestrial fibre across its African markets. The company also had investments in the 2Africa submarine cable system.

Airtel Africa’s 2025 annual report said Telesonic’s terrestrial network had expanded to more than 78,700 kilometres. The network includes the cross-continental route linking Muanda in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Mombasa in Kenya.

The company also activated its fibre pair on the 2Africa cable during the 2024/25 financial year.

Airtel’s Position in Kenya

Airtel Kenya continues to operate its mobile telecommunications business, with services including mobile voice, data and Airtel Money.

The company is one of Kenya’s major mobile network operators, competing with Safaricom and other providers for customers in the country’s telecommunications market.

Communications Authority data for the quarter ended March 2025 showed Airtel Networks Kenya had a 32.2 per cent share of mobile subscriptions, compared with Safaricom’s 63.3 per cent.

It also held 32.7 per cent of mobile broadband subscriptions during the period, while Safaricom accounted for 62.9 per cent.

Also Read: Safaricom Launches Campaign Rewarding Customers With More Data, Lower M-PESA Charges

Airtel’s mobile money service, Airtel Money, had 9.1 per cent of Kenya’s mobile money subscriptions in the same period, compared with M-Pesa’s 90.8 per cent.

The Communications Authority’s data also showed that Kenya had 1.4 million fibre-optic data subscriptions by December 2025, up from 1.1 million a year earlier. Safaricom held 35.4 per cent of that market, followed by Jamii Telecommunications at 19.5 per cent and Wananchi Group at 10.4 per cent.

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Airtel Nairobi branch. PHOTO/ FILE