Airtel Nigeria Boosts Transparency, Customer Trust With Open Network Feature

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A groundbreaking, data-transparent digital platform that gives subscribers unprecedented visibility into network coverage, signal strength, and service performance has been launched by Airtel Nigeria.

This initiative, known as Airtel Open Network, is live on the My Airtel Africa App to all Airtel subscribers.

It shows, via visual icons, the 4G and 5G sites, sites being upgraded, and coming sites within a 500-metre radius of a customer’s location. Through a simple button on the app, customers may also share feedback on network performance issues directly with Airtel.

The chief executive of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Dinesh Balsingh, speaking at the unveiling of the initiative, said, “The idea is straightforward; we want customers to have a clearer view of the network information available to them, so they can make more informed decisions about their connectivity. This is about making network information easier to access and understand, not asking customers to interpret complex technical details on their own.”

According to him, “Trust grows when customers can see what is happening and know that their concerns are being heard. With Open Network, we are giving customers greater visibility into our network and a more direct way to tell us where their experience falls short.”

However, he emphasised that, “Open Network does not, by itself, resolve every service issue or automatically change network performance.”

Mr Balsingh explained that, “What it offers is a superior starting point for understanding available information and raising concerns clearly when experience differs from expectations. Sustained operational investment is what improves network performance; information is what builds trust.”

Another speaker at the event, Mr Aminu Maida, who is the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said, “Open Network by Airtel is an initiative that can complement the work we do at the NCC. The Commission’s assessment of service quality will continue to be guided by evidence and the standards that apply across the industry. This is why we expect operators to keep improving beyond minimum requirements, including addressing persistent service challenges, as Airtel is demonstrating with this initiative.”