Airtel Kenya has bought 100 MHz of spectrum in the 3500 MHz band for US$65 million, about KSh8.45 billion. Its parent company, Airtel Africa, disclosed the purchase on 30 October 2026 in its results for the half year ended 30 September.
The Communications Authority (CA) approved the deal and granted a licence valid for 25 years, subject to standard conditions.
Why the 3500 MHz band matters for 5G
Operators use the 3500 MHz band, also called 3.5 GHz, to run 5G networks. The band carries large volumes of data. That lets an operator serve more customers at once and raise speeds in cities where traffic peaks.
Airtel Kenya’s spectrum purchases since 2022
The purchase follows an earlier one. In July 2022, Airtel Kenya paid US$40 million for 60 MHz in the 2600 MHz band on a licence valid for 15 years. The company said it would use the spectrum to expand 4G capacity and prepare for 5G.
Airtel launched commercial 5G in July 2023 at 372 sites across 16 counties. By June 2024, the network reached 690 sites in 39 counties, and the company said it planned to add 1,000 sites that year.
How Airtel is funding network growth
In 2025, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) approved a loan of up to US$100 million for Airtel’s units in Kenya and Rwanda. Airtel Kenya’s share was US$70 million, or KSh9.05 billion.
On 1 July 2026, IFC announced a US$150 million loan to two Airtel Africa subsidiaries. IFC’s project disclosure lists up to US$100 million for Kenya and up to US$50 million for the Democratic Republic of Congo, to fund network expansion. Airtel has not said whether the spectrum purchase will draw on either facility.
Airtel Africa doubles capital spending
Airtel Africa operates in 14 markets. It raised capital expenditure to US$657 million in the six months to 30 September 2026, from US$318 million a year earlier, and added about 4,200 network sites. Capital expenditure in East African mobile services rose to US$247 million from US$124 million. The figures exclude spectrum and licence purchases.
The company expects to spend about US$1.1 billion in the year to March 2027. It also said construction of its Kenya data centre is under way.
Airtel’s share of Kenya’s mobile market
The spending comes as Airtel’s share of Kenyan subscriptions falls. CA statistics for the quarter ended 30 June 2026 show about 88 million active SIM cards in Kenya. Airtel held 26.8%, or 23.60 million connections, down from 30.9% a year earlier. Safaricom’s share rose from 65.1% to 69.8% over the same period. Airtel’s base shrank by 58,801 lines in the year, while Safaricom added 11.5 million.
In mobile broadband, which counted 54.9 million subscriptions, Safaricom held 64.4% and Airtel 31.9%. Airtel also carried 34.93% of domestic voice traffic in the quarter.
The CA’s next report, covering July to September 2026, is due around December. It will give the next reading of Airtel’s share of subscriptions and mobile broadband.
