Telecoms operator Telkom Kenya has revealed that it will give up its towers to American Tower Corporation (ATC) in an agreement that was formally made official earlier today.
The agreement will see ATC take control of up to 723 towers that have been under Telkom’s control and management.
Speaking during the announcement of the collaboration, Telkom Kenya’s Chairman, Eddy Njoroge highlighted the goals of the operator in catapulting its service offerings to appeal to as many Kenyans as possible.
“The Board of TKL has made it clear that our objective is to transform Telkom into a business which has a reputation for excellence in terms of the quality and reliability of its network. This agreement, in which we will be partnering with a leading global tower company, will enhance the quality and reliability of our network to the benefit of our customers,” said Eddy Njoroge.
Referring to Mr. Njoroge’s statement, it is apparent the telco is on an ascent to bolster the quality of its service at a time when Kenyans are in dire need of quality alternatives in a fiercely contested carrier business.
ATC’s local presence in the tower business is its fifth turf in continental Africa. The firm operates a bunch of towers across 16 markets around the globe.
“The network availability and service levels we have agreed with ATC are world class and this agreement represents another important step towards the transformation of this business and the service levels we deliver to our customers. Telkom will now focus on its core function – the provision of quality telecommunications services to our customers. In addition, the sale will release capital for further investment in our 4G network and a number of state of the art IT platforms, all of which will further enhance services for our customers as they demand higher quality and speed from our mobile data networks as well as a richer range of services,” remarked Aldo Mareuse, CEO, Telkom Kenya.
The acquisition is expected to conclude in the second half of 2018, after which, relevant regulatory bodies will dive into approving the exercise.
