Top 10 largest ISPs in Nigeria by customer number as of Q3 2024

• The Nigerian Communications Commission’s Internet Service Providers data showed that only 124 ISPs out of the 241 licenced companies have active subscribers
• The 124 ISPs account for a combined 307,946 active subscribers as of Q3 2024
• TheRadar spotlights the top 10 largest ISPs in Nigeria by customer number as of Q3 2024

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) recently released Nigeria’s Internet Service Providers (ISPs) data, which showed that only 124 ISPs out of the 241 licenced companies have active customers as of the third quarter (Q3) 2024.

The 124 ISPs account for a combined 307,946 active subscribers as of Q3 2024.

The figure indicates that ISPs hold a small share of Nigeria’s internet market compared to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) such as MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile, who dominate the market.

As of the end of 2024, the four MNOs had 139.2 million active internet subscriptions having lost 246 million subscribers in one year to the SIM-National Identification Number (SIM-NIN) linkage exercise.

Despite holding a fraction of the market share, ISPs have been crucial in delivering high-bandwidth capacity from Nigeria’s shores to end users, bridging the connectivity gap.

The latest data by the NCC showed changes in the ISPs segment of internet subscriptions in Q3 2024. While some ISPs gained more customers, others lost theirs in the quarter under review compared to the end of 2023.

Going by the latest NCC data, TheRadar spotlights the top 10 largest ISPs in Nigeria by number of active subscribers as of Q3 2024.

10 largest ISPs in Nigeria by active subscribers as of Q3 2024

1. Spectranet

Spectranet maintained its position as the top ISP in Nigeria with the largest active subscribers as of Q3 2024.

Its active customers stood at 105,441 at the end of September 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.

Spectranet was licensed in 2009 to promote Internet services across Nigeria and was among the first ISPs to launch a 4G LTE Internet service in Nigeria.

2. Starlink

As of Q3 2024, Elon Musk’s Starlink was the second-largest ISP by customer number with 65,564 active subscribers.

The figure is a huge leap from the 11,207 active subscribers it reported as of Q3 2023, when it first made it to the top 10 list, occupying the fourth position.

Starlink has recorded an increase in subscriber base since January 2023 when it announced its presence in Nigeria, although its ISP licence was issued by the NCC in May 2022.

Despite its higher costs compared to local ISPs, Starlink continues to be one of the preferred ISPs in Nigeria because of the ubiquitous status of its satellite service, a major attraction for people in areas with poor internet networks.

The demand for Starlink was overwhelming that at some point in 2024, it suspended new orders in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.

3. FibreOne

As of Q3 2024, FiberOne was displaced by Starlink as the second-largest ISP in Nigeria by customer number.

With 33,010 active subscribers, FiberOne occupies third place on the top 10 list, although it has maintained a steady increase in its customer number over the years.

FiberOne is the largest fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) Internet service provider revolutionising last-mile internet in Nigeria by providing truly unlimited, top-quality internet to offices and homes at a low price.

4. Tizeti

At the fourth spot on the top 10 list of largest ISPs by customer number is Tizeti with 18,881 active subscribers as of Q3 2024.

Tizeti provides high-speed broadband internet to residences, businesses, events, and conferences and deploys public Wi-Fi hotspots at locations across Africa.

The company is leveraging the large wireless capacity available with Wi-fi and plunging the cost of solar panels to create a low CAPEX/OPEX network of owned and operated towers to offer disruptive, customer-friendly pricing for unlimited internet service right across Africa.

5. ipNX

ipNX dropped from the third position to occupy the fifth position as of Q3 2024 with 16,166 active subscribers.

The company is one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing ISPs, providing internet across enterprises, small businesses, and residents with innovative, world-class services.

ipNX is a pioneer and a leading fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) operator in Nigeria.

6. Broadbased Communications

With 8,068 active subscribers, Broadbased Communications occupies the sixth position on the top 10 list of ISPs in Nigeria by customer number as of Q3 2024.

The company is one of the newly listed ISPs on the NCC’s database of providers with active customers.

Broadbased Communications Limited is licensed by the NCC as a Metropolitan Fibre Optic Network Operator, Private Network Links Operator (PNL), International Data Access Gateway Operator (IDA), Value Added Services Operator, and Internet Service Provider (ISP).

7. VDT Communications

As of Q3 2024, VDT Communications was the seventh-largest ISP in Nigeria by customer number with 6,307 active subscribers.

VDT is a licensed private network service provider and specialises in providing Enterprise-Wide Area Network (WAN) and Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) link connectivity using fibre optic and wireless communication infrastructure and access networks.

It is a broadband communication service provider to corporate organisations with leased fibre optic trunks to the 36 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, where it has 55 Point-Of-Presence (POP) and a complement of technical support staffers.

8. Ngcom Limited

Ngcom Limited’s active subscribers as of Q3 2024 stood at 5,681, making it the eighth-largest ISP in Nigeria by customer number.

The company was licenced by the NCC as a network company to provide internet services across Nigeria.

Ngcom is one of Nigeria’s leading ISPs offering unlimited internet service to residential and business users.

Ngcom said its limitless access offer has no data or time caps and it is delivered through fibre optic and fixed wireless.

9. Cyberspace Network Limited

As of Q3 2024, Cyberspace was Nigeria’s ninth-largest ISP by customer number with 3,940 active subscribers.

It was founded in 1995 and commenced operation the same year as a wholly-owned Nigerian company.

Cyberspace is distinct for its excellent value-added ICT services and cutting-edge networking solutions.

It is a complete network and software solution provider in the industry with state-of-the-art and world-class Internet protocol (IP) infrastructure.

In 2014, Cyberspace deployed its 4G LTE network infrastructure with a promise to deliver 10x more speed, mobility, and security to its customers.

10. Radical Technology Network Ltd

On the 10th spot is Nigerian ISP, Radical Technology Network Ltd, with 3,657 active subscribers as of Q3 2024.

Radical Technology Network Ltd’s head office is located in Lagos and has a presence in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Onitsha.

With its highest levels of customer responsiveness and service quality, Radical Technology Network Ltd has earned a long-standing relationship with its customers and made it one of the most reliable ISPs in Nigeria.

Elon Musk’s Starlink displaces FiberOne as Nigeria’s second-largest ISP by subscriber number

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Elon Musk’s Starlink emerged 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.