Airtel Nigeria reports that it is spending over $120 million to construct a 38 megawatt data centre to improve service quality, increase digital inclusion, and extend rural connectivity.
The company announced on May 8 that it was doubling its capital investment. It noted that it has installed high-capacity radios, constructed extensive fibre infrastructure, and expedited the rollout of 5G technology across its sites nationwide as part of its investment strategy.
In addition, Airtel stated that it is constructing a brand-new, cutting-edge data centre to accommodate its expanding clientele and improve data management.
During a press conference on Tuesday accessed by BrandSpur telecom and information news desk, the company’s CEO, Dinesh Balsingh, stated that the facility will be built to accommodate large-scale operations. He said: “We are investing over $120 million. That is the kind of investment that is going on in our data centre.”
Cloud storage will be included in the offering, he said, but artificial intelligence is the primary force behind such a large facility.
Continuing, he has this to say: “When you’re building massive capacity, you can always allocate something for cloud storage. But data centres are actually for artificial intelligence.”
Although he did not specify a completion date, he stated that the facility would open the following year.
MTN Nigeria made the announcement weeks after launching its own data centre, which is reportedly the biggest prefabricated commercial building in West Africa and cost an estimated $255 million.
Addressing Nigeria’s low 5G adoption, he attributed it to the high cost and restricted availability of devices. He stated that although Airtel anticipates 5G coverage to grow quickly in the upcoming months, especially in major cities, it is still imperative that consumers have access to reasonably priced devices. He disclosed: “Over the next few months, you will see 5G network rolling out much more rapidly.
“Getting devices into the market and ensuring that consumers have 5G devices is one very important aspect. Because network is available and rolling out network is something that we can even do further,” he added.
However, to make 5G devices more affordable, Balsingh stated that Airtel is in discussions with device manufacturers about ways to cut costs, such as redesigning parts and establishing alliances.
