Nigeria’s broadband penetration hits 42.24%

Nigeria’s broadband penetration increased to 42.24 per cent in October 2024, up from 41.56 per cent in September, according to the latest report by the Nigerian Communications Commission.

This growth reflects the ongoing expansion of Internet services nationwide as telecom operators continue to enhance network infrastructure.

The report revealed that Nigeria’s internet subscriber base grew by 1.88 million in October, reaching 134.78 million, compared to 132.9 million in September.

The majority of this growth came from mobile networks, with GSM providers accounting for 134.27 million of the total internet users. Fixed wired and Voice over Internet Protocol services contributed to the remaining subscribers.

Telecom giants led the charge in subscriber growth, with MTN Nigeria adding 1.13 million new subscribers, bringing its total to 69.52 million.

Airtel followed with 678,219 new subscribers, raising its total to 45.47 million, while Globacom added 184,887 new users, reaching 17.10 million. However, 9mobile experienced a decline, with a loss of 125,780 subscribers, bringing its total down to 2.16 million.

The NCC’s report also highlighted an increase in telephony subscriptions, which grew by 2.69 million to a total of 157.37 million in October. MTN continued to lead in telephony, with 80.37 million subscribers, followed by Airtel with 54.44 million, Globacom with 19.10 million, and 9mobile with 3.33 million.

Data usage also saw an uptick, rising to 870,398.28 terabytes in October from 850,249.09 terabytes in September, further underscoring the growing demand for digital connectivity in Nigeria.

The continued growth in broadband penetration and internet subscriptions highlights the increasing reliance on digital platforms and the concerted efforts by telecom operators to expand access to high-speed internet services across the country.