Despite Slight Drop in Broadband Penetration, More Subscribers Utilise Mobile GSM Technology

Emma Okonji

The latest statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator, has revealed a slight drop in broadband penetration and subscriptions as at June this year.

The statistics, which THISDAY obtained from the official website of NCC, showed that as at January this year, broadband subscriptions reached 92,011,259, while broadband penetration reached 48.20 per cent. The subscriptions figure however dropped to 89,730,341, while penetration level also dropped to 47.01 per cent as at June 2023.

Ananalysis of the numbers showed that despite the slight drop in broadband penetration and subscriptions, the number of subscribers utilising mobile GSM technology far outweighed the number of subscribers utilising the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Fixed Wired and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technologies that are currently deployed in Nigeria.  

A breakdown of the numbers indicates that broadband subscriptions increased from 92,011,259 in January 2023 to 92,561,842 in February 2023, with a corresponding increase in broadband penetration from 48.20 per cent in January 2023 to 48.49 per cent in February 2023. The figures however dropped in March 2023, with a record of 92,033,267 in broadband subscriptions and 48.21 per cent in broadband penetration. The figures dropped again in April 2023, with a record of 91,886,980 in broadband subscriptions and 48.14 per cent in broadband penetration. The figures however increased slightly in May 2023, with a record of 92,169,176 in broadband subscriptions and 48.28 per cent in broadband penetration, before sliding again in June 2023 to 89,730,341 in broadband subscriptions and 47.01 per broadband penetration level. 

A breakdown of subscribers’ utilisation of the telecommunications technologies currently deployed in Nigeria, also indicates 99.84 per cent utilisation of mobile GSM technology, followed by 0.12 per cent utilisation of VoIP technology and 0.05 utilisation of Fixed Wired technology as at May 2023.

The statistics shows that more subscribers are utilising the mobile GSM technology more than any other technologies currently deployed in Nigeria, despite the slight drop in broadband subscriptions and penetration across networks.

The NCC statistics also showed a drop in the number of active telephone subscriptions from March to June 2023, after maintaining a steady rise in growth in the previous months.

According to the statistics, active telephone subscriptions reached 227,179,946, with a teledensity of 119.01 per cent in February 2023, but dropped to 226,161,713, with a teledensity of 118.48 per cent in March 2023. It further dropped to 223,663,521, with a teledensity of 117.17 per cent in April 2023, and later dropped again to 221,258,372, with a teledensity of 115.91 per cent in May 2023. As at June 2023, the active telephone subscriptions further dropped to 220,086,951, with a teledensity of 115.30 per cent.      

The statistics also projected MTN as the market leader in terms of market share and subscribers number, followed by Globacom, Airtel and 9mobile.

According to the statistics MTN has a total number of 84,663,653 active subscribers on its network as at June 2023, with a market share of 38.52 per cent, while Globacom has a total number of 61,333,528 active subscribers on its network, with a market share of 27.91 per cent.

Airtel, which is closely following Globacom, has a total number of 60,190,732 active subscribers on its network, with a market share of 27.39 per cent.

From the NCC statistics, 9mobile has a total number of 13,578,431 active subscribers on its network, with a market share of 6.18 per cent.