Press Release
AccessKenya and Airtel Kenya (Airtel) have entered into a partnership that grants Airtel access to AccessKenya’s extensive fibre optic network to provide connectivity services for fixed line voice services, also known as “E1″.
In the deal, Airtel will buy E1 circuits from AccessKenya’s fibre optic network in over 300 building sites in Nairobi and Mombasa to connect their customers. By taking up the service, Airtel is now set to leverage AccessKenya’s extensive fibre presence to reach more customers, more buildings and to give highly reliable services.
Speaking during the signing of the partnership, the two companies acknowledged the need for getting into a strategic partnership to continuously give superior and reliable services to customers. AccessKenya’s Mr. Somen stated: “Our goal remains to provide the most reliable, most consistent services in Kenya backed up with first class customer service. Given our record uptime of 99.93 per cent last year on our fibre network, partnering with Airtel to provide top quality fixed line services will help both companies to further expand our market shares. By forming a partnership with a leading and global brand such as Airtel, it reinforces our ability to deliver world-class services to the Kenyan public.”
Airtel’s Rene Meza observed that the partnership is a perfect complement to Airtel’s goal of offering first class services in support of its goal of providing a truly differentiated and superior quality customer experience of its products and services. “This new partnership helps us strengthen our competitive position besides the quality delivery of our voice services through AccessKenya’s excellent fibre network to the delight of our customers in Nairobi and Mombasa”, said Mr. Meza.
Through the deal, Airtel will gain access to AccessKenya’s existing fibre network as well all new buildings the firm connects every month (at least 10 new buildings are connected every month). This move is expected to significantly improve revenue for both companies as Airtel sells fixed voice services to new clients while opening new wholesale revenue streams for AccessKenya.
Said Mr. Somen: “We have invested millions of shillings in building this capacity to provide backhaul services for mobile networks. This deal marks our first wholesale agreement with a mobile network and that further enhances our services and leverages our investment in infrastructure and primarily our outstanding fibre network”.
