Data consumption rises despite drop in internet subscription
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Telecom data consumption by the average Nigerian rose last year and summed up to 353.1 terabytes (TB), up 68 per cent on 209.9TB in 2020, despite a drop in internet subscription across all networks.
A decrease of 8 per cent in internet subscription did nothing to reduce the rate of data consumption, rather it had the opposite effect as the fewer number of connections gulped up more data.
The figures were compiled by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in its 2021 Subscriber/Network Data Annual Report just released.
Internet subscription dipped from 154.3 million in December 2020 to 141.9 million in December 2021 because of the directive by the NCC in December 2020 that suspended the sale and registration of new SIMs, SIM swaps, and all porting activities by telecom companies.
However, the networks made more revenue from fewer subscribers, as reflected in the 2021 financial results which showed a surge in data earnings by MTN and Airtel, the two leading networks.
MTN had a 55 per cent jump in data revenue in 2021 as it raked in N516 billion from its internet customers. Airtel chalked up N304 billion as data revenue, a 41.1 per cent increase on 2020 figures.
The two operators acknowledged their 4G expansion across the country was the driving force for the increase in data usage by customers.
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Other metrics
Subscriber numbers decreased from 204.6 million in 2020 to 195.4 million active voice subscriptions in December 2021, a loss of 9.1 million or 4.46 per cent in total subscriptions, according to the NCC, per reporting by Nairametrics.
Nigeria`s teledensity reduced from 107.18 per cent in December 2020 to 102.40 in in December 2021.
Internet subscriber figures slashed from 154.3 million in December 2020 to 141.9 million in December 2021, a decline of 8 per cent.
Broadband penetration decreased from 45.02 per cent in December 2020 to 40.88 per cent in December 2021.
Broadband subscription declined from 85.9 million in December 2020 to 78 million in December 2021.