MTN, Globacom, others lose internet subscribers over data war

Latest statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed that the quartet of MTN, Globacom, Airtel, and 9Mobile lost 716, 846 subscribers, while Fixed Wired and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers lost 8,191 users in the period.

However, whereas data subscriptions fell in the period under review, voice subscriptions, however, increased.

Though it was not indicated that the drop in internet subscription is linked to the on-going fierce data price war amongst MNOs and ISPs, the statistics released showed that operators lost about 725,037 Internet subscribers between October and November 2019.

It was gathered that subscriptions to the Internet, which was 123,669,596 in October, fell by 0.58 per cent to 122,834,559 in November even as players in the broadband sub-sector also lost 307,452 users, down from 72.2 million in October to 71.9 million within the period under review.

Otherwise, MNOs added new 2.7 million users in one month. The number of users increased from 180.3 million in October to 182.7 million in November which further deepened Nigeria’s teledensity, which leaped by 1.21 per cent haven jumped from 94.5 per cent to 95.71 per cent.

On specifics MTN maintained the market leader with 67.3 million users by standing on a comfortable 36.9 per cent market share.

Closely following is leading indigenous giant, Globacom, which had 51.1 million subscribers and controlled 28 per cent of the market.

Whereas Airtel stood at third in the market with 27.2 per cent market share and 49.6 million users, resilient 9Mobile, formerly Etisalat, remains the fourth largest operator with 14.2 million customers and 7.7 per cent market share.