
Initiative Aims to Enhance Use of Network Infrastructure to Connect Underserved Communities across the Regions
London: Further to a high-level meeting at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, senior leaders from eight major mobile operator groups, covering 551 million mobile connections across Africa and the Middle East, plan to cooperate on network infrastructure sharing initiatives that recognise the profound impact of mobile broadband and Internet services on the citizens of both regions. The participating operators have made this commitment in order to provide Internet and mobile broadband access to unserved rural communities and drive down the cost of mobile services for all sections of the population.
We are greatly encouraged by the shared vision of mobile operators and the common urgency to find solutions that will drive down the cost of mobile and Internet services and help connect the unconnected, said Anne Bouverot, Director General, GSMA. Unique mobile subscriber penetration is only 40 per cent in Africa and the Middle East, lower than the global average of 47 per cent, so we need to work together to expand the reach of mobile.
The initial group of senior leaders from mobile operator groups who support this initiative includes:
Christian de Faria, CEO Africa, Bharti Airtel
Ahmad Julfar, Group CEO, Etisalat Group
Sifiso Dabengwa, CEO and President, MTN Group
Dr. Nasser Marafih, Group CEO, Ooredoo Group
Marc Rennard, Senior Executive Vice President, Africa, Middle East and Asia, Orange
Abdulaziz A. Alsugair, Chairman and Managing Director, STC Group
Serpil Timuray, CEO, Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific Region, Vodafone Group
Scott Gegenheimer, CEO, Zain Group
They collectively manage 79 mobile network operations across 47 countries in Africa and the Middle East, where many of the unconnected population live in rural areas.
This cooperation demonstrates that the industry is committed to innovating in order to serve the billions living in the rural areas, said Manoj Kohli, Managing Director, Bharti Enterprises and Chair of the Public Policy Committee of the GSMA board, who also supports the initiative. We call on governments to support and encourage the commercial infrastructure sharing arrangements that we aim to propose.
The GSMA's position is that telecom regulatory frameworks should encourage flexible commercial sharing arrangements and facilitate access to government-owned assets at preferential rates to help speed up the roll-out of new networks and support the business case to extend mobile networks into rural areas.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors
GSMA report on Mobile Infrastructure Sharing: http://www.gsma.com/publicpolicy/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Mobile-Infrastructure-sharing.pdf
About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide. Spanning more than 220 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators with 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.
For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.
Media Contacts
For the GSMA
Charlie Meredith-Hardy
+44 7917 298 428
cmeredith-hardy@webershandwick.com
GSMA Press Office
pressoffice@gsma.com
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Digital Domain Welcomes Award-Nominated VFX Supervisor Jelmer Boskma
Brie Clayton May 4, 2026
0 Comments
Digital Domain, a global leader in visual eff...
04/05/2026
just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026 are available to download!
More Details:At NAB 2026, ToolsOnAir showcased just:play pro 2026 and just:live pro 2026, ...
04/05/2026
just:in mac pro 2026 - The Next Level of Professional Recording on macOS
More Details:The headline innovation in just:in mac pro 2026 is the new Auto format si...
04/05/2026
Hardware is still an emphasis - Supershooter 11 is new, and REMI-based 65 is in ...
04/05/2026
Head of International Business Development Min Joo Kim explores the league's...
04/05/2026
Audio-Technica has announced that its ATND1061 ceiling array microphone and ATUC...
04/05/2026
Triple B Media has launched Bowling TV, a free ad-supported television (FAST) channel dedicated to bowling. The channel is available on Prime Video, LG Channels...
04/05/2026
PlayMetrics, a provider of operations management software for youth sports organizations, has announced the completion of its acquisition of substantially all t...
04/05/2026
IHSE GmbH has announced that Dr. Thomas Niessen has joined as CEO and Managing Director, effective May 1, 2026. He joins Frank Breitenfelder, who has served as ...
04/05/2026
PMY Group deployed its AI-powered crowd intelligence platform, Optic, at the For...
04/05/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
04/05/2026
Last week, guests gathered in New York City for On Air, In Style: An Evening with Spotify-a night of conversation, culture, and connection celebrating the inter...
04/05/2026
New music & post-production features added
Avid's latest DAW update delivers an array of helpful features aimed at both music and post-production users,...
04/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/05/2026
Student Spotlight: Joshua Griffin The New Orleans native, who was named the 2026 student commencement speaker for Boston Conservatory at Berklee, talks about ...
04/05/2026
It's Andrew! stomps onto screens this June 4 May 2026
The ABC and Screen Australia are delighted to announce that brand new preschool series, It's Andr...
03/05/2026
Polysynth now features Mutable Instruments' macro oscillators
Melbourne Instruments have just released a free firmware update that brings the engine beh...
03/05/2026
Introducing the new Mistika Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective f...
03/05/2026
Introducing the new Mistake Workflows Suite: transformative and cost-effective f...
03/05/2026
Back to All News
Filming begins on the third and final season of Breathless
Entertainment
03 May 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Discover the vi...
02/05/2026
(L-R) Dustin Hoffman and Leo Woodall appear in Tuner by Daniel Roher, an official selection of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo courtesy of Sundance In...
02/05/2026
Versatile re-amping tool announced
Warm Audio are best known for their recreations of sought-after vintage studio gear, but their latest release brings a ne...
02/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/05/2026
Scripps Research immunologist Dennis Burton elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences A leader in broadly neutralizing antibodies, Burton has helped driv...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
01/05/2026
BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing ( BKB ), today announced the appointment of Will Wright ...
01/05/2026
Lawo has been at the center of the industry's transition to IP and other next-generation technologies. At NAB 2026, its story was the Edge One AV stagebox, ...
01/05/2026
HBA Media, acting on behalf of NBC Sports and Churchill Downs Incorporated, has announced broadcast and streaming distribution for Kentucky Derby 152, taking pl...
01/05/2026
By Bailey Pennick
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
01/05/2026
Florals for spring? Groundbreaking. But a playlist that tells you which The Devi...
01/05/2026
One of the world's biggest popstars is headed to El Cl sico. Later this mont...
01/05/2026
Limited-edition model celebrates 15th anniversary
Heritage Audio's range of monitor controllers has just gained a new member, the Baby RAM Black Edition...
01/05/2026
Dumble recreation now available as UAD plug-in
Along with their renowned processing plug-ins, Universal Audio have been steadily introducing emulations of c...
01/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/05/2026
To celebrate the opening of its new showroom and office, Lightware UK hosted a dedicated launch event at the new London location. The event welcomed partners, c...
01/05/2026
Choice without compromise
The broadcast industrys transformation is accelerating, and traditional broadcasters are having to fundamentally reinvent how they o...