Despite 70% Broadband Projection, Internet Subscriptions, Number Porting Slide across Networks

Emma Okonji

In spite of the 70 per cent broadband projection by 2025 as enshrined in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan, which the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani has promised to work towards its attainment, industry indices has revealed that Nigeria may not be able to meet the projection.

Analysis of data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), showed that Nigeria may not achieve the projected 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025, if adequate measures are put in place.

For instance, the recent statistics, which THISDAY obtained from the official website of NCC, showed that internet subscriptions, telecoms subscriber subscriptions as well as number porting, declined across networks as at May, June, July and August this year, a development analysts said could pose serious obstacle to the achievement of 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025.

According to the NCC statistics, active internet subscriptions dropped from 159,534,913 in July this year to 159,034,717 in August this year. It also dropped from 159,598,451 in May this year to 159,498,826 in June this year.

Equally, telecoms subscribers’ subscriptions also dropped from 220, 860, 987, with a teledensity of 115.70 per cent in July this year to 220,715,961, with a teledensity of 115.63 per cent in August this year. Similarly, telecoms subscribers’ subscriptions dropped from 221,258,372, with a teledensity of 115.91 per cent in May this year, to 220, 086, 951, with a teledensity of 115.30 per cent in June this year.   

Other indices such as number porting also dropped, according to the statistics released by NCC.

The indices revealed that the total number of inward porting of telephone numbers from one network to another was 4,077 in July this year, but the figure dropped to 2,592 in August this year.

Similarly, inward porting dropped from 2,992 in May this year to 2,321 in June this year.

Number porting is the ability of telecoms subscribers to move their telephone numbers from one network to another network of choice in search of better service quality, while retraining the same telephone number on the new network.

Further analysis of the NCC data showed that MTN Nigeria still leads the telecoms industry with a subscriber base of 85 million and a market share of 38.58 per cent, followed by Globacom with a subscriber base of 61 million and a market share 27.86 per cent. Airtel, which is the third largest telecoms operator, has a subscriber base of 60 million, with a market share of 27.30 per cent, followed by 9mobile with a subscriber base of 13 million and a market share of 6.26 per cent.  

Giving reasons for the drop in subscriber number, internet penetration and number porting, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, blamed the situation on the inability of telecoms operators to roll out their network expansion initiative to the un-served and underserved areas of the country as a result of the refusal of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) authority to grant the installation of telecoms mast in some parts of Abuja and its environs.

Adebayo further said most agencies of state governments have equally refused to grant telecoms operators the Right of Way (RoW) to roll out telecoms infrastructure in their states, and have continued to impose levies on telecoms operations that are impacting negatively on telecoms growth.

Adebayo said the identified challenges were adversely affecting telecoms’ growth across networks, adding that the attainment of 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025 will be a mirage if the challenges are not addressed.