Bharti's mobile user base in Africa crosses 60 mn

Airtel added 10 million customers across its operations in 17 African countries in less than 12 months of having crossed 50 million subscribers.

Telecom major Bharti Airtel on Wednesday said its business in Africa, where it forayed in 2010, has crossed 60-million subscriber mark.

Airtel added 10 million customers across its operations in 17 African countries in less than 12 months of having crossed 50 million subscribers, the company said in a statement.

Moving forward, the company hopes to add subscribers on the continent through maintaining a strong focus on rural penetration, innovation and customer responsiveness, it added.

"Since launching the Airtel brand in Africa in 2010, Airtel has been on a steady growth path. The ability to communicate with each other is no longer a privilege on this continent, but a necessity," Airtel Africa chief marketing officer Andre Beyers said.

The company has expanded 3.75G data services across 11 markets and mobile commerce service "Airtel Money" in 15 African markets.

Over the last year, Airtel said it has reduced the number of sites running only on diesel by more than 50 per cent through the use of innovative models such as a Hybrid Battery Bank.

"By 2013, the company aims to completely eradicate the constant use of diesel to power its network. This means no site will rely solely on diesel power 24 hours a day," the statement said.

Bharti Airtel has operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. The company now ranks among the top four mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers, according to Wireless Intelligence report.