03 October 2025
Airtel Chad is set to undertake a substantial investment of approximately 50 billion CFA francs aimed at enhancing network quality and expanding digital connectivity throughout the country.
The company’s multi-phase development plan intends to address existing infrastructure challenges while extending coverage to underserved areas.
In the coming month, Airtel plans to increase microwave connection capacity, replace aging generators, enhance radio capacity across 89 4G sites, and upgrade router ports in the capital, N’Djamena, to 100G. Additionally, the operator will modernize the fibre network inherited from the former state-owned telecom provider, SOTEL.
Looking ahead, by January 2026, Airtel aims to deploy fibre connections in key locations such as Massakory in the southwest, Ati and Dop-Dop in the central region, and Abéché in the east. These efforts will enable radio services to be extended to 306 more sites and will mark the third phase of metro fibre deployment in N’Djamena. The plan also includes deploying 114 new sites to expand coverage in underserved areas, adding 170 more sites with 4G services, and establishing fibre links to connect N’Djamena with Sarh, passing through Dourbali and Bousso in the south. A significant upgrade involves replacing the existing Ericsson core network with new equipment supplied by Huawei.
This comprehensive plan has been submitted for approval to Chad’s Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Posts (ARCEP), amid ongoing efforts by the government to improve network services. Earlier this month, authorities ordered Airtel and Moov Africa to accelerate their connections to the national fibre optic backbone. The government’s push follows reports of persistent consumer complaints over internet outages, instability, and high tariffs, with coverage still limited in many areas.
ARCEP has voiced concerns about these service quality issues and the slow pace of subscriber identification updates. Airtel, which has previously faced scrutiny over network performance, was fined 5 billion CFA francs in August 2023 for not meeting quality standards. To ensure transparency and accountability, Airtel has committed to submitting monthly progress reports on its investment implementation. Meanwhile, ARCEP has recently launched its 15th national audit focusing on service quality, with findings expected to inform future regulatory actions.
