Despite the current implementation of the Nigeria National Broadband Plan, Nigeria will require more Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to achieve the target of 70% broadband penetration by 2025. (NNBP 2020-2025).
According to reports, more companies have recently expressed interest in operating in this segment of the telecommunications industry.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) licensed over 40 new Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in 2022 alone, including Elon Musk’s Starlink. This brings the country’s total number of ISPs to 238 as of December of this year, with more expected in 2023.
ISPs, which operate in a different license domain than mobile network operators, primarily serve corporate organizations and homes, as opposed to MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile, which target the entire spectrum of internet users in the country.
According to NCC data, the total connected subscribers of the ISPs stood at 415,099 as of Q3 2022. However, only 49% (204,810) of these subscribers were active.
While some newly licensed ISPs have yet to begin operations, NCC data for Q3 2022 shows the position of 102 active ISPs in Nigeria in terms of customer number and points of presence.
