Internet subscriber base rises across all networks
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
National internet subscription across all networks – mobile, fixed, and VoIP – rose to 148 million in April, a month that alone saw 2.5 million new subscriptions, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Total subscription was 145.5 million in March.
NCC data shows that the top four Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) – MTN, Globacom, Airtel, and 9mobile – maintained their dominance of the internet market with a combined 147.4 million subscribers.
VoIP operators Smile Communications and Ntel accounted for 349,742 subscribers and 14,412 were on fixed wired networks – 21st Century and iPNX.
Broadband subscription – high-speed internet service – rose to 81.6 million in April from 80.6 million in March, bringing national broadband penetration to 42.79 per cent
MTN Nigeria, the largest operator by subscriber number, maintained its leadership position as it gained 1.1 million new internet subscriptions in April. That brought its total subscriber database to 61.8 million.
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Airtel overtakes Globacom
Airtel overtook Globacom in April to become the second-largest operator in terms of internet subscriptions. Airtel had 918,191 new subscriptions, which brought its total internet customers to 40.2 million, according to the data, per Nairametics.
Globacom also gained new subscriptions, adding 331,360. Its internet subscription database stood at 39.8 million in April.
But subscription on 9mobile declined, as it lost 107,617 customers, which brought its internet customer database to 5.4 million in April.
Backstory
Active internet subscription across all networks totalled 154.3 million in December 2020.
The operators recorded a significant drop in internet subscriptions in 2021 due to the government’s suspension of SIM registration and activation between December 2020 and April 2021.
Nigeria lost a total 13.8 million internet subscriptions between January and May 2021.
