MTN Group, Africa’s largest mobile operator, is championing a shift away from the continent’s costly model of privately owned telecoms networks. Senior Vice President Ebenezer Asante has called for “shared ownership” of digital infrastructure to address a funding gap estimated at $100 billion. To achieve this goal, MTN has allied with Africa’s largest telecoms operators. Known as the African Group of Six, the alliance includes Vodacom, Airtel Africa, Orange, Axian Telecom, and Ethio Telecom. Together, the operators account for 60–65% of Africa’s mobile subscribers. Beyond infrastructure sharing, the group is lobbying governments in six countries to remove import duties on entry-level devices to make smartphones more affordable. While supporters say shared infrastructure would reduce costs, expand connectivity, and help fund technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence, critics warn that excessive consolidation could weaken competition and create dominant market players.
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