Core Internet Service Providers (ISPs) currently account for a minute per cent of the internet market in Nigeria where mobile network operators have become the dominant players.
This notwithstanding, their impact is quite significant as they help in taking the high bandwidth capacity on the shores of the country to the last mile through their services.
The latest data released by the NCC shows that a total of 106 ISPs whose data were made available had a combined 262,206 active customers at the end of 2023. In the same period, the four mobile network operators, MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile had 163.8 million active internet subscriptions.
Meanwhile, the ISP data shows that Elon Musk’s Starlink, which is one of the newest entrants into the market has now become one of the dominant players in this segment as it climbed to the third position in Q4 2023. Starlink is attracting more Nigerian customers even though its hardware cost and monthly subscription charge are more expensive compared to those of older service providers in the market.
Aside from Starlink, a few other ISPs made their way into the top 10 in Q4 by increasing their customer number, thereby displacing others.
Going by the latest NCC data, here are the top 10 ISPs in Nigeria as of Q4 2023, based on their number of active subscribers:
10. Radical Technology Network Ltd (3,673)
Radical Technology Network Ltd is a Nigerian ISP with its head office located in Lagos and with a presence in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Onitsha. Over the years, the company has ensured the highest levels of customer responsiveness and service quality, a trait that has earned it a long-standing relationship with its customers and made it one of the most reliable ISPs in Nigeria.
Radical Technology Network had a total of 3,673 customers at the end of 2023, which placed it in the 10th position.
9. Cyberspace Network Limited (3,935)
Cyberspace was founded in 1995 and commenced operation the same year as a wholly-owned Nigerian Company. With a mission to provide excellent value-added ICT services and cutting-edge networking solutions, the company has been able to distinguish itself as a complete network and software solution provider in the industry with its state-of-the-art and world-class internet protocol (IP) infrastructure.
In 2014, the company deployed its 4G LTE network infrastructure with a promise to deliver 10x more speed, mobility, and security to its customers. Its active customer base stood at 3,935 at the end of 2023.
8. Ngcom Limited (4,939)
Ngcom is a network company licensed by the NCC to provide internet services across Nigeria. The company is currently one of the country’s leading ISPs offering unlimited internet service to residential and business users. Ngcom said its limitless access offer has absolutely no data or time caps and it is delivered through fiber optic and fixed wireless.
According to NCC’s data, the company’s active customer number stood at 4,939 as of December last year.
7. VDT Communications (6,310)
VDT is a licensed Private Network service provider specializing in the provision of Enterprise-Wide Area Network (WAN) and Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) link connectivity using Fiber Optic and Wireless Communication infrastructure and access networks. VDT is a Broadband communication service provider to corporate organizations with leased Fiber Optic trunks to the thirty-six (36) states in Nigeria and the FCT, where it has 59 Point-Of-Presence (POP) and a complement of technical support staffers. The ISP’s active customer base was 6,310 at the end of 2023.
6. Broadbased (7,073)
Broadbased Communications Limited is licensed by the NCC as a Metropolitan Fiber Optic Network Operator, Private Network Links Operator (PNL), International Data Access Gateway Operator (IDA), Value Added Services Operator, and Internet Service Provider (ISP). The company is one of the newly listed ISPs on the NCC’s database of providers with active customers.
At the end of 2023, Broadbased’s active customer number stood at 7,073 to occupy the 6th position.
5. ipNX (15,362)
ipNX is one of the country’s fastest-growing ISPs, serving a multitude of needs 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. The company, which occupied the third position in terms of customer numbers in Q3 slipped to the fifth position in Q4.
The company had a total of 15,362 customers at the end of December 2023.
4. Tizeti (19,618)
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 plummeting the cost of solar panels to create a low CAPEX/OPEX network of owned & operated towers to offer disruptive, customer-friendly pricing for unlimited internet service right across Africa.
According to NCC’s database, the company, which was the second-largest ISP in Nigeria in terms of subscriber number in Q3 2023 slipped to the fourth position in Q4 with 19,618 active,126 customers.
3. Starlink (23,897)
Elon Musk’s Starlink made it to the top 10 for the first time in Q3 2023 and it occupied the fourth position, having garnered 11,207 customers at that time. By Q4, the company had grown to occupy the 3rd position. Although its ISP licence was issued by the NCC in May 2022, the Space X internet company made its official entry into the Nigerian market in January 2023. As a satellite-based broadband internet service provider, Starlink’s launch in Nigeria was celebrated for its ability to provide service in any part of Nigeria. However, the service does not come cheap, hence, it remains accessible only to businesses and high-income individuals.
At the end of the year, Starlink’s active customer database stood at 23,897.
2. FibreOne(27,000)
FiberOne is the largest fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) Internet service provider that is revolutionizing last-mile Internet in Nigeria by providing truly unlimited, top-quality Internet to offices and homes at a low price. Although not listed by the NCC in Q3, apparently because it did not submit its data, FiberOne’s emerged to displace Tizeti and occupied the 2nd position in Q4 2023.
The company’s customer database stood at 27,000 in Q4 2023.
1. Spectranet (112,976)
With a wide margin ahead of others in terms of active subscribers, Spectranet remained the number one ISP in Nigeria with the largest customer base. Licensed in 2009 to promote Internet services across Nigeria, Spectranet was among the first Internet Service Providers to launch 4G LTE Internet service in Nigeria and aims to be a leader in the Internet Services space.
The latest data on the NCC’s website shows that this company had the largest number of connected and active customers out of all the ISPs licensed by the NCC. Its active customers stood at 112,976 at the end of Q4 2023.
Bottomline
Several factors including the state of operation, and the cost of service, influence the number of customers the ISPs acquire. The competition with the mobile network operators, especially with the launch of 5G service by MTN and Airtel, means that the core ISPs will have to offer more attractive packages to increase their share of the internet market.