Airtel Kenya has applied to the Communications Authority of Kenya for two major licences that would give it…
Airtel Kenya has applied to the Communications Authority of Kenya for two major licences that would give it full ownership of its national infrastructure and direct control over international traffic routing.
The CA confirmed the applications in a notice published in the Kenya Gazette on August 31, 2026, and has opened a 30-day public comment window before making a final decision.
The applications, filed under the Kenya Information and Communications Act Cap. 411A and signed by CA Director General David Mugonyi, cover a Network Facilities Provider Tier 1 licence and a licence for International Gateway Systems and Services.
Safaricom
On the surface, they read like regulatory paperwork. Underneath, they signal something more deliberate.
Kenya’s telecom market has always had a ceiling for Airtel. To run its network, it has had to depend on infrastructure it does not own. To route international calls and data in and out of the country, it has had to go through other companies.
Every time that happens, Airtel pays a price in cost, control, and the quality of service it can guarantee its customers. The NFP Tier 1 licence could address the infrastructure side of that challenge. It would allow Airtel to build and own national-scale telecom infrastructure, towers, fibre cables, data centres, satellite equipment, and lease capacity to other operators. This is the kind of licence reserved for players with the resources and ambition to build something that lasts.
The International Gateway licence would give Airtel direct control over the systems that connect Kenya’s networks to the rest of the world, cutting out the intermediary and giving the company more say over cost and service quality on international traffic.
If both are approved, Airtel would be competing with Safaricom, Telkom Kenya, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, and Faiba on terms it has not previously had access to. Airtel would also be owning the ground beneath its own feet rather than standing on someone else’s.
The CA has not announced when it will decide on the applications. Any individual, company, or organisation that wishes to support or oppose either application can write to the Director General of the Communications Authority, clearly stating which licence category their submission relates to.
A copy must also be sent directly to Airtel Kenya. All representations must be filed within 30 days of the gazette notice. Kenya’s telecom market has been shaped for years by the infrastructure advantages of its largest players. Now, Airtel is seeking the tools to build and control more of its own infrastructure.
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