- Elon Musk’s Starlink displaced FiberOne as Nigeria’s second-largest Internet Service Provider by subscriber number
- Spectranet maintained its top spot with 307,946 active customers
- Nigeria currently has 124 ISPs with active customers out of 241 licenced companies
Elon Musk’s Starlink emerges as Nigeria’s second-largest Internet Service Provider (ISP) by subscriber number as of the third quarter (Q3) of 2024.
According to the latest ISP data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Starkink’s active customers in Nigeria increased to 65,564 as of Q3 2024 from 23,897 customers as of December 2023.
At the time, Starlink was the third-largest ISP by customer number.
The additional 41,667 customers Starlink gained in the first nine months of 2024 saw it displace FiberOne, which had occupied the second spot in terms of customer numbers.
Spectranet maintains top spot
Spectranet, one of the oldest ISPs in Nigeria, maintained the top spot in the market with 105,441 active customers at the end of Q3 2024.
The figure, however, represents an over 8,000 customer loss in the first three quarters of 2024 compared to the 113,869 active customers it had at the end of 2023.
FiberOne, which was once the second-biggest ISP, occupies the third place with 33,010 active customers at the end of Q3 2024.
Nigeria has 124 ISPs with active customers
Information on the NCC’s database shows that there are currently 241 companies licenced as ISPs in Nigeria. However, the recent data released by the commission show that only 124 of the ISPs had active customers as of Q3 2024.
The 124 ISPs had a cumulative 307,946 active customers as of Q3 2024, according to the NCC’s data.
However, the figure is still lower than the internet customers of the four mobile network operators (MNOs) in the country.
As of the end of 2024, MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile had 139.2 million active internet subscriptions.
Starlink’s strides in 2 years
Since announcing its presence in Nigeria in January 2023, Starlink has seen an increase in the number of subscribers despite its higher costs compared to local ISPs.
The ubiquitous status of its satellite service is a major attraction for people in areas with poor internet networks.
At some point in 2024, Starlink suspended new orders in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt due to increasing demand for its service.
Starlink Nigeria raises subscription fee to N75,000 per month
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Starlink Nigeria, Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, announced another price hike, increasing its Residential Plan subscription from N38,000 to N75,000 per month.
The development comes just a month after the company suspended a similar price adjustment following objections from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
