Regulating for the Public: Airtel Africa on Spectrum and Policy Harmonization

Acknowledging Progress While Pushing Further

Mukadi opened by insisting that Africa’s digital progress deserves recognition. Across financial inclusion and digital inclusion, the continent has moved. But he was equally clear that progress is not a destination. The work of finding the right balance between government interests, operator interests, and consumer interests is ongoing, and events like MWC exist precisely to keep that conversation moving. At the center of it all, he argued, is cost structure. Policy shapes cost, and cost determines who can and cannot access services.

Setting the Objective First

On rural and semi-rural connectivity, Mukadi’s answer was methodical. Before reaching for policy solutions, countries need to define their target clearly: where are they today on internet penetration, voice penetration, and digital access, and where do they want to be? Once that bar is set, policy becomes a tool to drive toward it rather than an end in itself. He noted that a growing number of African governments now understand that the telecoms sector is no longer a support function but a core driver of national development, and that shift in mindset is changing the tone of conversations between industry and government. 

Spectrum as a Public Service Question

On spectrum allocation, Mukadi was direct. Spectrum is essential to the mobile industry, and the way it is priced and allocated has direct consequences for accessibility. His test is the same one he applies everywhere: does this decision serve the public interest? Transparent processes, fair pricing, and a clear link between spectrum policy and coverage objectives are the markers of getting it right. Principles, he said, are what drive daily decisions, and getting the principles right is therefore everything.

“So I think I always try to remind people that this is a public service that needs to be regulated in the public interest. Every time you make a decision about setting up the cost of spectrum, the processes, the level of transparency, and so on, ask yourself one question: Am I regulating in the public interest? Are the policies I have in place responding to that requirement? If those public requirements are met, then you have made the right decision. I also like to stick to the principles, because they are what guide daily actions.”

–Daddy Mukadi, Chief Regulatory Officer, Airtel Africa

The Harmonization Imperative

Perhaps the sharpest part of the conversation came when Mukadi addressed policy harmonization across Africa. He pointed to a striking figure: around 65 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa have mobile coverage, but are not using it. The signal is there. The problem lies elsewhere, in cost, in affordability, in the fragmented policy environments that keep prices high. Harmonization, he argued, directly addresses that gap by driving costs down across borders.

He closed with an African proverb that captured his outlook precisely: if you want to go far, go with people. If you only want to reach around the corner, go alone. For a continent that the rest of the world already refers to as a single entity, the message from Mukadi was clear. Africa might as well start acting like one.