The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed that telecommunications users in Nigeria consumed a staggering 518,381.89 terabytes of data in 2022, a notable surge highlighted in the Subscriber/Network Data Annual Report for 2022.
This signifies a remarkable 47% upswing from the previous year, during which 353,118.89 terabytes were consumed.
The report also reveals a growth in Internet subscriptions across various networks, climbing from 141.9 million in December 2021 to 154.8 million by December 2022, marking an impressive increase of 9.06%.
The boost in subscriptions played a significant role in propelling data consumption, further buoyed by the introduction of 5G technology by MTN.
Alongside the expansion of 4G networks, which facilitate faster speeds and the ability to stream high-quality videos, Nigerians have exhibited an increased inclination towards spending on data.
As 5G continues to gradually roll out, offering speeds 100 times that of 4G, it is anticipated that data consumption will continue to surge.
Moreover, the year witnessed a surge in revenue for telecommunications companies, with total revenue reaching N3.8 trillion.
This represents a noteworthy 18.7% increase when contrasted with the N3.2 trillion recorded in the preceding year.
Notably, the dominance of major mobile network operators including MTN, Globacom, Airtel, and 9mobile remained evident, accounting for a substantial 86% of the industry’s revenue.
These four operators collectively generated N3.3 trillion in revenue, while other participants such as Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Value Added Service (VAS) providers, and fixed wired operators contributed around N500 billion in total revenue.
Interestingly, while telecom companies scaled back their capital expenditure (CAPEX) due to inflation and forex volatility, operating costs saw a notable 17.6% increase.
Industry data indicates that CAPEX expenditure decreased by 30%, amounting to N785.7 billion in 2022 compared to N1.1 trillion the prior year.
In contrast, operating costs surged to N2 trillion, up from N1.7 trillion in 2021.
Active subscriptions across telecom networks also experienced a substantial uptick, climbing from 195.4 million in 2021 to 222.5 million by December 2022.
This indicates the addition of 27.1 million subscriptions, translating to a noteworthy 13.86% annual growth.
The NCC attributes this subscriber base expansion to factors such as subscriber loyalty, promotions, seasonal effects, aggressive consumer acquisition efforts, and competitive product offerings across all networks.
This rise in active subscriptions had a positive impact on other crucial telecom indicators, including Teledensity, Internet Penetration, and Broadband Penetration, as outlined in the report by the NCC.
