NCC: DATA CONSUMPTION, ACTIVE INTERNET SUBSCRIPTIONS, PENETRATION SKYROCKET IN JANUARY ’24

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed that data consumption in January 2024 reached 721,522 terabytes, marking the highest monthly usage ever recorded. Active internet subscriptions also saw a notable increase, totaling 161,977,883, compared to the previous month’s 156,244,368. Internet penetration remained robust at 42.53 percent, with broadband subscriptions reaching 92,195,937 million.

Data from the regulator’s website indicated that January 2024 witnessed a surge in data consumption compared to December 2023, which stood at 713,200 terabytes. Mobile subscriptions accounted for the majority, with 161,504,390, while Internet service providers (ISPs) recorded 213,876 subscriptions, fixed wire connections totaled 21,437, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) reached 238,180.

Although there was a decline of 1.9 million Internet users in January 2024 compared to December 2023, dropping from 163.8 million to 161.9 million, the proportion of 4G subscriptions continued to rise steadily. In January 2024, 2G connections dominated with 57.78%, while 3G accounted for 9.36%, slightly down from 9.80% in December 2023. 4G subscriptions increased from 31.33% to 31.75%, indicating a growing preference for high-speed connectivity. Additionally, 5G subscriptions grew from 1.04% to 1.11% between December 2023 and January 2024.

Despite this growth, Africa maintains the lowest 5G coverage globally, standing at only 6 percent as of December 2023, according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). This disparity is attributed to the continued significance of older mobile technologies like 2G and 3G networks across the continent. The ITU report highlighted Nigeria’s reliance on these legacy technologies, which provide cost-effective mobile services, particularly in regions lacking access to 4G and 5G networks.

Peter Oluka; Source:Techeconomy