Airtel shuts loss-making Kenya fibre unit after two years
Airtel Africa is shutting down its Kenyan wholesale fibre-optic subsidiary, Airtel Kenya Telesonic, by December 2026. The decision follows years of financial losses and stiff competition in the regional telecommunications market.
Why it matters
This exit highlights the challenges of profitability in the African wholesale data infrastructure market despite high demand for connectivity.
Airtel Africa is winding up its Kenyan wholesale internet and fibre-optic subsidiary, two years after it was set up amid struggles to turn a profit.
The Registrar of Companies revealed that the Airtel subsidiary, known as Airtel Kenya Telesonic, would be struck off the register by December 2026, following a request by the telco.
Airtel Kenya Telesonic filed a notice to surrender its Network Facilities Provider Tier 2 (NFPT2) licence to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) at the end of 2025.
The exit application came as the subsidiary reported a net loss of Sh16.1 million in the year ended December 2025, up from Sh2.9 million the previous year when it was launched. The CA approved the shutdown of Airtel Kenya Telesonic, prompting the Registrar of Companies to kick off the deregistration.
Read: Airtel activates 2Africa cable from South Africa to Kenya
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