Subscriptions for internet across mobile, fixed, and VoIP networks in the country increased to 148 million in April this year.
Statistics obtained from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reveal that telecom operators recorded 2.5 million new subscriptions.
Despite losing 13.8 million internet subscriptions between January to May last year due to the government’s suspension of SIM registration and activation between December 2020 and April 2021, the telecom operators in the industry have risen above the challenge to gain a remarkable ground, with mobile network operators taking the lead.
Records of December 2020 showed that subscriptions across all the networks in the country stood at 154.3 million. NCC’s data shows that mobile network operators MTN, Globacom, Airtel, and 9mobile maintained the market lead with 147.4 million subscriptions.
VoIP operators Smile Communications and Ntel have 349,742 internet subscriptions, while 14,412 were on fixed wired networks – 21st Century and iPNX. Broadband subscriptions (high-speed internet service) rose to 81.6 million in April from 80.6 million recorded in March, bringing the country’s broadband penetration to 42.79 percent.
The largest operator by subscriber number, MTN Nigeria, maintained its leadership position as it gained 1.1 million new internet subscriptions in April, with its internet subscription database hitting 61.8 million.
In April, Airtel recorded an additional 918,191 internet subscriptions, bringing its total internet customers to 40.2 million.
Globacom also gained new subscriptions in the month as it added 331,360 internet customers in the month. At the end of April, its internet subscriptions database stood at 39.8 million.
