Glossary and abbreviations

Definitions

4G data customer

A customer having a 4G handset and who has used at least 1 MB of data on the Group’s network via GPRS, 3G or 4G in the last 30 days.

Airtel Money

Airtel Money is the brand name for Airtel Africa’s mobile money products and services. The term is used interchangeably with ‘mobile money’ when referring to our mobile money business, finance, operations and activities.

Airtel Money (mobile money) customer base

Total number of active subscribers who have enacted any mobile money usage event in the last 30 days.

Airtel Money (mobile money) customer penetration

The proportion of total Airtel Africa active mobile customers who use mobile money services. This is calculated by dividing the mobile money customer base by the Group’s total customer base.

Airtel Money (mobile money) transaction value

The sum of all financial transactions performed on Airtel Africa’s mobile money platform for the relevant period.

Customer

Defined as unique active subscriber with a unique mobile telephone number who has used any of Airtel Africa’s services in the last 30 days.

Customer base

A total number of active subscribers with a unique mobile telephone number who have used any of Airtel Africa’s services (voice calls,
SMS, data usage or mobile money transactions) in the last 30 days.

Data customer

The total number of subscribers who have consumed at least 1 MB of data on the Group’s network via GPRS, 3G or 4G in the last 30 days.

GSMA

A global organisation representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries.

Information and communication technologies (ICT)

ICT refers to all communication technologies, including the internet, wireless networks, cell phones, computers, software, middleware, video conferencing, social networking and other media applications and services.

Infrastructure sites, or sites

Physical network infrastructure comprising a base transmission system (BTS) which holds the radio transceivers (TRXs) that define
a cell and coordinates the radio link protocols with the mobile device. It includes all ground-based, roof top and in-building solutions.

IT load

Critical power, or IT load, often refers to the data center load that is consumed or is dedicated to IT equipment such as servers, storage equipment and communications switches and routers.

Microcredit

Microcredit is the extension of very small loans (microloans) to predominantly unbanked borrowers who typically lack collateral, steady employment, or a verifiable credit history. It is designed to support entrepreneurship, essential needs of consumers and alleviate poverty.

Micromerchant

Micromerchant is anyone who conducts the majority of their business activity in the form of lower-value transactions.

Mobile services

Mobile services are our core telecom services, mainly voice and data services, but also including revenue from tower operation services provided by the Group and excluding mobile money services.

Net security provider

Tackles its own security concerns by enhancing security services to institutions in our operating countries in addition to investing in our own security. This is done by addressing common security concerns, including dealing with transnational piracy or responding to disasters.

Next generation network

A next-generation network is a generic term that describes the evolution and migration of fixed and mobile network infrastructures from distinct, proprietary networks to converged networks based on IP.

Operating company (OpCo)

Operating company (OpCo) is a defined corporate business unit, providing telecoms services and mobile money services in the
Group’s footprint.

Rural areas

Definition of rural varies from country to country and denotes the population density per specific site.

Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions

Scope 1 are those direct emissions that are owned or controlled by a company, whereas scope 2 and 3 indirect emissions are a consequence of the activities of the company but occur from sources not owned or controlled by it

Single-use plastics

This includes plastic stirrers, straws, plates (including paper plates with plastic lining), cutlery (forks, knives, spoons and chopsticks), cotton swabs, balloon sticks, oxo-degradable plastics and beverage containers that do not have tethered caps and lids, plastic bags,
all forms of polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) food and beverage containers, and plastic packaging made of mixed materials (i.e., multi-layered plastics).

Smartphone

A smartphone is defined as a mobile phone with an interactive touch screen that allows the user to access the internet and additional data applications, providing more advanced functionality to that of a basic ‘feature’ phone which is used only for making voice calls and sending/receiving text messages.

Smartphone penetration

Smartphone penetration is calculated by dividing the number of smartphone devices in use by the total number of customer.

Unstructured supplementary service data

Unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) also known as ‘quick codes’ or ‘feature codes’, is a communications protocol for GSM mobile operators, similar to SMS messaging. It has a variety of uses such as WAP browsing, prepaid call-back services, mobile money services, location-based content services, menu-based information services, and for configuring phones on the network.

Zero-rated educational content

The user does not have to pay any mobile data charges to access content.