Nigeria has lost about 1.64 million 3G and 4G connections between October and November last year, the latest data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has shown.
This has led to a decline in broadband penetration from 45.93 percent in October to 45.07 percent in November last year.
The data showed that as of November, exactly 1,644,749 broadband connections were lost.
Broadband penetration is typically measured by the percentage of the total population with access to broadband networks.
Even though Nigeria added 1.95 million new Internet subscriptions as connections increased to 154.88 million in November from 152.93 million in October, broadband connections declined.
Broadband penetration is of economic importance to Nigeria because research has shown that a 10 percent increase in broadband penetration will raise economic growth by approximately 0.52 percentage.
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However, analysis of the data showed that from January to November 2020, broadband penetration improved significantly by 7.27 percent as network providers connected 13.88 million new lines during the period.
Analyses of the NCC data indicated that, broadband connections were 73.47 million in January 2020; grew to 75.56 million in February and 76.08 million in March.
In April last year, broadband subscriptions declined to 75.47 million subscriptions in April after a loss of 610,000 broadband connections in the month.
It, however, rebounded in May last year, to hit 76.53 million while it grew to 78.7 million connections in June.
The uptrend continued throughout the third quarter with 80.22 million in July; 82.65 million in August and 86.72 million broadband connections in September.
Also in October, operators recorded growth in broadband connections recording a total of 87.68 million, the figure declined in November to stand at 86.03 million, according to the latest NCC data.
The Nigeria Coordinator for Alliance for Affordable Internet, Mr. Olusola Teniola, explained that Internet subscription comprises of connections from Internet Service Providers, 2G, 3G, and 4G subscriptions while broadband connections are from 3G and 4G subscriptions only.
Giving plausible reasons for the decline in broadband penetration in November, Teniola said the population figures used in calculation broadband could have been revised by NCC to reflect the new population figure of 207 million as against 197 million used previously.
He said, “As the population increases if there are no further connections, penetration will reduce. It could be as a result of 4G network rollout and 3G.”
