ICT
Internet subscribers flee Glo, 9mobile
By Odunewu Segun
Two major telecommunication firms, 9mobile and Glo suffered serious setbacks in their internet subscribers’ base as over 471,782 internet subscribers left their networks between March and April.
Data made available by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) to National Daily, show that embattled 9mobile, lost 150,285 internet users in April decreasing its subscription to 10.847 million as against 10.997 million recorded in March.
The data also showed that in April, Globacom lost 321,497 internet users decreasing its subscription to 26.372 million from the 26.693 million recorded in March.
This drop in internet subscribers, National Daily gathered may not be unconnected with the telecoms declining services in recent times.
Glo, which prides itself as the ‘Grand master of data’ has been having great difficulties maintaining its services because of the mammoth crowd that ported to its services due to the massive data it gives at affordable prices.
In the end, many of the subscribers had to leave since the internet services on the network was always down, especially between the month of March and April.
For 9mobile, the crisis of getting new investors and the intrigues trailing the recently concluded bidding process for the company where Teleology emerged winner still remains an albatross.
Meanwhile, National Daily gathered from the data that Airtel and MTN gained more internet subscribers during the month in review while Glo and 9mobile lost subscribers.
The breakdown showed that Airtel gained 366,254 new internet users increasing its subscription in April to 25.842 million from 25.476 million in March.
It said MTN gained 718,803 internet users in April amounting to 38.147 million as against 37.428 million recorded in March.
According to the monthly subscribers’ operator data posted on its website on Monday, the number of active mobile telephone lines increased by 11 million to stand 160 million.
Internet users increased to 101.2 million in April from the 100.6 million recorded in March.
The figures showed that the total number of mobile telephone lines in April stood at 160,081,051, compared to 148,854,338 in March.
However, the number of active mobile lines on code division multiple access (CDMA) was 217,566 users in April, same as March.
