Airtel opens network map on My Airtel app so subscribers can see coverage

Airtel Nigeria subscribers can now open the My Airtel app and see which 4G and 5G sites sit close to them, which ones are being upgraded and which are planned. The company calls the feature Airtel Open Network and launched it in Lagos on Friday, 30 October 2026.

The map covers sites within about 500 metres of a customer's location, shown with simple icons rather than technical readings. A button on the app lets users send complaints about poor service straight to the company.

Airtel says Nigeria is the first of its 14 African markets to get this level of detail for ordinary customers. The feature is already live for all subscribers.

Why it matters for subscribers

For the average Nigerian, network trouble often means dropped calls, failed transfers and data that will not load, with no clear way to know whether the problem is the phone, the area or the operator. Airtel's chief executive, Dinesh Balsingh, said customers deserve clearer information about the network they rely on and the work going into it.

"Trust grows when customers can see what is happening and know that their concerns are being heard," Balsingh said.

He also said the aim is to make network information easier to understand, not to ask customers to read complex technical details themselves.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, attended the launch. He said the initiative can support the regulator's work, adding that the NCC will keep judging service quality on evidence and industry standards. He said operators are expected to go beyond minimum requirements and tackle long-standing service problems.

Airtel was careful to set expectations. The company said a coverage indicator does not promise uninterrupted reception, because walls, handset types and local congestion all affect what a customer actually gets.

"Open Network does not, by itself, resolve every service issue or automatically change network performance," Balsingh said.

He said steady investment in infrastructure is what improves service, while information builds trust. The company said it combines subscriber feedback with multi-billion-naira spending on physical infrastructure to direct upgrades to areas that need them most.

What happens next

Airtel said it will run a nationwide campaign in the coming weeks, with demonstrations and user guides on digital, retail and traditional media, to help its tens of millions of subscribers find and use the feature.