Chad Authorities Tell Airtel and Moov to Speed up Infrastructure Sharing

Key Takeaways

• Chad regulator mandates Airtel and Moov to share towers immediately
• Minister Haliki Choua Mahamat cited declining network performance as catalyst
• Zero tolerance policy targets service failures across the telecom sector
• Faster sharing expected to boost coverage and lower consumer costs

Pulse Analysis

Infrastructure sharing has become a cornerstone of cost‑efficient telecom expansion across Africa, where dense tower deployment is often hampered by high capital expenditures and fragmented markets. By allowing multiple operators to use the same physical sites, countries can reduce duplicate investment, accelerate rollout of 4G and emerging 5G services, and improve overall network resilience. Chad, with a population of roughly 17 million and a mobile penetration rate hovering around 70%, has lagged behind regional peers, prompting regulators to intervene.

The June 4 meeting led by Minister Haliki Choua Mahamat signals a decisive shift toward stricter enforcement. The “zero tolerance” language underscores the government’s willingness to penalize operators that fail to meet service standards, a stance that mirrors recent moves in Kenya and Nigeria where regulators have imposed fines for prolonged outages. For Airtel and Moov, the immediate challenge is to untangle existing disputes over site leasing and revenue sharing, then coordinate technical integration to enable seamless handover of tower assets. Rapid compliance could also stave off potential market entry by new competitors seeking to exploit the current service gaps.

For consumers, the expected outcome is clearer: more reliable voice and data connections, especially in underserved rural zones where shared infrastructure can extend coverage without prohibitive costs. From an investment perspective, the policy may attract foreign capital by demonstrating a predictable regulatory environment that favors collaborative infrastructure models. In the longer term, Chad’s approach could serve as a template for other Central African nations grappling with similar network quality issues, reinforcing the broader trend of regulatory bodies using infrastructure sharing as a lever for market modernization.