Outrage as MTN, Airtel, other telco's increase in data tariff becomes unbearable

• Small and medium-sized concern owners present beryllium connected constricted subscriptions to proviso net connectivity
• This followed the support of a 50% summation successful telecom prices alternatively of the 100% summation requested
• As of December 2023, Nigeria had implicit 224 cardinal users, according to authoritative NCC data

Legit.ng writer Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.

The outgo of information subscriptions has increased, causing tiny and medium-sized concern (SME) owners to trust connected meagre subscriptions to supply net connectivity.

Many radical are upset astir the emergence successful information bills since the authorized 50% accommodation began. Photo Credit: Contributor
Source: Getty Images

This occurred aft the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) authorized a 50% telecom pricing emergence alternatively than the 100% rise that the telecom companies had requested.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and different organizations, however, responded to the authorized modification by calling for a reversal, but to nary avail.

Small businesses suffering

Daily Trust reported that for tiny concern owners, the summation successful information costs since the commencement of the authorized 50% accommodation has near them feeling bitter.

One of the large telecommunications companies' N5000 information subscription ended successful little than a week, according to Hassan Alabi, a PoS attendant who uses a router.

However, helium claimed that utilizing 1 of the net work providers gives him comfort, mentioning the rollover program and treble information arsenic examples.

“Before, I utilized to bargain 20gb for N5,500 but present it is N6,000 for 18gb but it inactive lasts 1 period and erstwhile I not capable to decorativeness it, it automatically rolls implicit and that is for Spectranet.“The past clip I loaded N5,000 connected a large telecommunication net supplier connected my router, it was not up to 1 week erstwhile it work finished,” helium said.

The proprietor of Bikita Studio, Olu Ojeniyi, said that the terms of his information subscription had gone up from N2000 for a one-week bundle to N9000 for 15GB.

He characterized the summation arsenic a fiscal burden, stating that users' usage of the net has been restricted owed to the summation successful information costs.

“Subscribers merit transparency, reliability and worth for their hard-earned wealth but we can’t accidental we are getting worth for our hard-earned money,” helium said.

In an interview, Prince Sina Bilesanmi, National President of the radical of Telephone Cable TV and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS), said that during the gathering wherever the tariff hike determination was made, the radical asked telecom companies to heighten their services.

In summation to expressing interest for the concern of subscribers, helium brought up the telecom operators' accrued operational costs and departure danger.

“Directly oregon indirectly, implicit 60,000 mightiness suffer their jobs,” helium said.

Nigeria had much than 224 cardinal customers arsenic of December 2023. Photo Credit: contributor
Source: Getty Images

He emphasized that the radical volition proceed to show the telecom providers to guarantee they fulfil their commitments to heighten their offerings.

“The telecom operators said they person shipped successful instrumentality to amended the prime of their services, truthful we are waiting,” helium said.

According to authoritative NCC figures, Nigeria had much than 224 cardinal customers arsenic of December 2023. With much than 87 cardinal members, MTN holds the largest marketplace stock of immoderate licensed Mobile Network Operator (MNO) successful the nation, accounting for 38.79% of the total.

9mobile has 13.9 cardinal consumers, compared to 61 cardinal for Globacom and Airtel.

Subscribers impeach 9Mobile of blocking them from switching

Legit.ng reported that a increasing fig of 9Mobile subscribers person lamented their inability to power to different networks in February, with experts alleging that the embattled telco whitethorn beryllium deliberately blocking porting requests.

The improvement has raised concerns among industry watchers, with the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NTACOMS) asking the Nigerian Communications Commission to intervene.

In January 2025, 9Mobile emerged arsenic the biggest loser of subscribers. Many of its customers switched to different networks amid ongoing infrastructure problems astatine the telco.

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Source: Legit.ng