Airtel Becomes Second Largest Telecom Operator Globally with 650 Million Subscribers

Bharti Airtel has emerged as the second largest telecommunications company globally after surpassing 650 million mobile subscribers.

The telecom giant attributed this milestone to its consistent delivery of quality services and sustained innovation across its operations.

This was disclosed by the company’s Director of Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria, Femi Adeniran.

Rapid Expansion in Nigeria

According to Adeniran, Airtel has significantly scaled its infrastructure across Nigeria in recent years.

“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 12 months,” he said.

This expansion has strengthened network capacity in high-demand areas while extending high-speed connectivity to previously underserved regions.

Strong Presence in National Telecom Infrastructure

Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission highlights Airtel’s growing footprint in the country.

As of December 2025, Nigeria recorded 145,141 base stations across 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks. Out of this, Airtel accounts for 46,918 base-station layers, demonstrating its significant contribution to the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure.

Addressing Digital Economy Challenges

The company also noted its efforts in tackling key infrastructure challenges affecting Nigeria’s digital economy.

Airtel is working to reduce the country’s reliance on a single international internet gateway, a critical issue impacting network resilience and internet access nationwide.