Malawi activates 36th rural telecom tower under Last Mile project

Details: Manny Pham; Category: Vendors; 07 September 2026; 181 views

Malawi has activated a new telecommunications tower in Lilongwe Nyanja, taking the number of operational towers under the government's Last Mile Rural Connectivity Project to 36 as it expands mobile coverage in underserved areas.

Information and Digitalisation Minister Shadric Namalomba launched the Kalira tower, which is intended to improve access to mobile services, internet connectivity and digital payments in the area.

The government plans to deploy 136 towers under the project, with five more currently under construction and 16 targeted for completion during the current financial year. The project is intended to extend covera`ge to communities where commercial operators have been reluctant to invest because of the limited returns from rural deployments.

Namalomba said the rollout would help improve access to digital services in areas that have historically lacked reliable connectivity, including education, healthcare, agriculture and commerce.

The minister also called on traditional leaders to support the allocation and protection of land for telecoms infrastructure, while urging mobile operators to make use of the new sites.

The rollout has faced challenges including land disputes, power supply and maintenance, with the government working with operators, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) and technical partners to address them.

The Last Mile project dates back several years and is designed to provide mobile and internet services in unserved rural areas. The 136 towers are intended to be shared by Malawi's mobile operators and managed through MACRA. A 2024 SADC project overview said 28 towers had been constructed and 17 were operational at the time, with the wider programme also including a 3,000km national fibre backbone expansion.

Huawei has been the primary private contractor involved in the Last Mile rollout. Earlier reporting said the company was contracted to provide services for the project, while Huawei Malawi has also been identified as the contractor responsible for constructing the towers. In 2025, Malawi's state news agency reported that Huawei had been selected to deliver a Last Mile tower in Mchinji.

According to the Nyasa Times, Namalomba said 35 towers were already operational nationally, with five recently completed, including the Kalira site. The government is targeting 136 towers in total.

The GSMA recently highlighted how 80% of Malawians remain offline despite the presence of mobile coverage, and plugging this gap could deliver US$637 million into the economy.