Kenyan operator Yu has ceased operations, selling off its assets and subscribers to its competitors.
Yu is being bought out by Airtel and Safaricom for around $100 million from its parent company, the Indian group Essar. The deal will see Airtel take over Yu’s 2.7 million connections, while Safaricom receives control of Yu’s network.
Despite the boost in subscribers for Airtel, the market will still be led far and away by Safaricom, which has a share of around two thirds. Even with the addition of Yu’s subscribers, Airtel’s connections will total 8.45 million compared to Safaricom’s 21.5 million.
Both operators are trailed by Orange, which was in fourth place with only 2.3 million subscribers.
