Nigeria’s 5G subscriptions hit 500,000 as NCC looks to widen network access

Despite being new to Nigeria, 5G adoption is picking up the pace. Umar Dambatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), revealed that the country had reached the milestone of 500,000 subscriptions for the 5G network. Dambatta made this revelation at a recent media gathering.

Building on this feat, Reuben Muoka, the Director of Public Affairs, recently signed a statement that echoed the NCC’s commitment to widen access to the 5G network. Unlike the familiar 3G and 4G, 5G boasts improved network speed, fewer lags, and more benefits. As of today, MTN, Airtel, and MAFAB are the only telcos that have successfully launched 5G offerings. 

Last month, MAFAB’s launch and network availability elicited controversies on social media. Despite announcing the launch of its services, there is not much hype and fanfare on social media and the streets, compared to MTN and Airtel. As such, the existence of its 5G network has become a hot topic for debate. Defending the company, the NCC reiterated that MAFAB had indeed commenced 5G operations.

Dambatta also remarked that Nigeria’s broadband penetration had grown over the past few years. As of July 2023, the NCC’s broadband access graph indicates that the country recorded a penetration of 47.01%. It is interesting to note that the aforementioned figure is the same as what was registered in June. The number of broadband subscriptions did not change between June and July (89,730,341). 

One aspect where the NCC registered a change was active internet subscriptions whose volume increased from 158,944,660 in June 2023 to 158,982,962 in July, representing a difference of 38,302 new subscriptions. Teledensity also grew from 115.30% to 115.70%. 

Read also: Nigeria’s internet subscribers grew by 9% in 2022, hitting 154.8m – NCC Report

Why increasing Nigeria’s broadband access, especially 5G should be a priority 

Nigeria has an ambitious broadband penetration roadmap. By 2025, it hopes to grow the current access rate from 47.01% to 70%. What’s more, it intends to achieve a massive coverage status of at least 90% of the nation’s population. If accomplished, this project will undoubtedly promote socio-economic growth among other things.

Unsurprisingly, the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development urged world leaders to collaborate on obtaining universal connectivity.

“We need to build a digital future that is inclusive, affordable, sustainable, safe and people-centred. There should be no digital deserts in the world, and there should be no one excluded from connectivity,” said Carlos Slim, Co-Chairman of the Commission. 

Statista found out that 864 million people living in Africa lacked access to the internet. Most of these people can be found in rural areas, locations that are historically underserved by telcos. As governments and telcos increase efforts to bridge the gap between people and internet access, areas with limited penetration deserve extra focus.