The number of mobile Internet subscriptions across mobile network operators (MNOs) increased by 5.4 million or 5.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2017, a new industry report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed.
According to the study obtained by New Telegraph, from 92.9 million Internet subscriber base at the end of last September, mobile Internet users rose significantly to well over 98.3 million.
Specifically, the figure increased to 93.8 million in October from 92.9 million in September and to 94.8 million at the end of November before rising to 98.3 million again in December.
In November 2015, the telecoms industry recorded its first highest Internet users of 97.8 million.
But the industry’s Internet adoption started picking up again, rising to 90.12 million in April 2017; 91.56 million in May; 91.59 million in June, but dropped to 91.41 million in July. It however grew steadily to 92.15 million in August and, in September, it moved to 92.97 million.
From the 98.3 million mobile Internet subscriptions at the end of last December, MTN had 36 million, followed by Globacom with 26.7 million. Airtel and 9mobile came third and fourth with 23.9 million and 11.3 million respectively.
Last October, the figures stood at 33.4 million 23.9 million, 23 million and 11.4 million for MTN, Glo, Airtel and 9mobile respectively.
Also, there were 30,309 Internet subscribers on code division multiple access (CDMA) operators. Of that 30,309 Internet lines, MTN-acquired Visafone had 30,305 and the already sunk Multilinks just four Internet subscribers.
On fixed wireless networks, the NCC data showed that there were 11,962 while the Voice Over Internet Protocol Internet subscriptions shared between ntel (44,136) and Smile Communications (221,447), bringing it to a total of 265,583 Internet subscriptions.
President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola, has also called on the government to remove obstacles facing telecoms operators in the course of deploying Internet infrastructure.
“We need increased supports for telecom companies and other players in the entire Information and Communication Technology (ICT) spectrum so that they can roll out infrastructure that can help us deepen Internet accessibility and availability faster,” Teniola said.
He lamented that currently, telecoms companies pay over 20 different taxes and levies and are faced with the perennial cases of vandalism, indiscriminate closure of their Internet infrastructure, denial of right of way (RoW) as well as lack of direct access to foreign exchange of dollars.
Already, industry analysts say the National Broadband Plan (NBP) 2013-2018, being implemented by Federal Government, through the telecoms regulator, is further helping in deepening broadband penetration.
According to official data from NCC, broadband penetration had increased from six per cent in 2013 to 21 per cent in 2016, but with a target to reach 30 per cent penetration by end of this year.
“We have to create veritable platform for aggressively increasing access to true broadband services, whose availability have greater impact on the nation’s economy,” Chief Executive Officer, MainOne Cables, Ms Funke Opeke said at the company’s annual IT summit held in Lagos last week.
Meanwhile, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, has expressed the Commission’s commitment towards ensuring that policies aimed at deepening broadband penetration is implemented by the regulator.
“We are engendering a more robust conducive regulatory environment that attracts foreign investors into the country’s current $70 billion telecoms industry, release more spectrum to drive wireless Internet communication, licence more players in the broadband infrastructure space and working with stakeholders to ensure challenges facing operators are obliterated,” he said during an interview at an event held in Lagos.
This newspaper learnt that the low entry cost of smartphone, the lowering cost of the Internet and increasing penchant for mobility are key drivers for growing Internet uptake in the country.
However, despite the current Internet penetration, Nigeria has been comparatively ranked low in terms of connectivity level, according to a connectivity index report released by a global ICT firm, Huwaei Technologies.
The study, which is the second annual Global Connectivity Index (GCI) of Huawei, released in Shenzhen, China, ranked 50 economies in terms of connectivity, ICT usage and digital transformation.
The index focuses on a total of 38 variables such as networks, connectivity, computing, mobile adoption, digital economy, service demand and e-commerce to determine the position of each of the 50 nations.
Source: https://newtelegraphonline.com/2018/03/nigerias-internet-users-rise-6-q4-2017/