One year after roaming deal, T2mobile (9mobile) loses nearly 8,000 subscribers to porting

If you ask an average Nigerian phone or internet user about T2mobile, chances are that you will be met with a blank stare or the question, “Who is that?” “Are they still in existence?” “What is T2mobile?” Yet, a year after the operator entered a national roaming agreement with MTN to keep its remaining users connected, the operator continues to bleed subscriber numbers at an alarming rate.

When 9mobile rebranded as T2mobile and committed to a high-profile national roaming agreement with MTN, the strategic move was designed to solve its two biggest challenges: poor network quality and a shrinking market share.

Latest industry figures from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reveal that nearly 8,000 subscribers ported their lines away from T2mobile (9mobile) between October 2025 and August 2026. This signals that a new brand name and network roaming with MTN have done little to stop the exodus of subscribers and build significant consumer recognition. 

In mobile number portability (MNP), an activity subscribers use to change network provider while maintaining their phone line, MTN reported the least outgoings (2,287), followed by Airtel (2,456) and Globacom (2,885) in the same reporting period.

In terms of subscribers who ported in, T2mobile (9mobile) had the fewest (196), aside from Vitel Wireless (142), whose reporting period commenced in November 2025. MTN saw the highest gain in subscribers (9,074), followed by Airtel (3,998) and Globacom (2,042). 

The T2mobile (9mobile) – MTN roaming 

9mobile officially rebranded to T2 on August 8, 2025, with public unveiling events in Lagos. The development follows the acquisition of a 95.5% controlling stake in 9mobile by Lighthouse Telecommunication Limited, led by Chairman Thomas Etuh.

The transition was accompanied by a three-year national roaming agreement with MTN Nigeria, aimed at boosting coverage and network quality.

Specifically, the national roaming deal allows T2mobile (9mobile) subscribers to access MTN’s network infrastructure for calls, SMS, and data services in regions where T2mobile’s (9mobile) coverage is limited or unavailable.  The agreement provides 9mobile a lifeline to enhance service reliability without the heavy financial burden of building new infrastructure.

MTN also gained from the deal, with access to 9mobile’s underutilised spectrum in the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz bands and financial earnings from the roaming deal. The additional spectrum increases MTN’s network capacity and quality, helping to address throttling in dense areas.

Providing clarification, T2mobile’s Chief Executive Officer, Obafemi Banigbe, said the deal is a “commercial partnership focused on operational efficiency”. He pointed out that it is neither a merger nor a coalition but a model of “co-opetition” that balances cooperation with competition.

The national roaming agreement, after regulatory approval from the NCC, started on October 1, 2025.

When rebranding fails

Despite additional partnerships, such as signing a multi-million-dollar deal with Huawei to upgrade its network infrastructure, the first hit came when IHS Towers asked T2mobile (9mobile) to quit 2,576 tower sites owing to long-standing debts. 

Read More: IHS Towers disconnects T2mobile (9Mobile) from 2,576 towers amid debts.

Since its national roaming commenced in October 2025, T2mobile has managed to gain approximately 480,000 users, compared to MTN (11.5 million), Airtel (8.4 million) and Globacom (1.8 million). The operator’s subscriber base is now at 3.6 million (as of August 2026), the least of all four mobile network operators.

In terms of internet users, the operator added 55,000 subscribers, marked by multiple highs and lows. 

Its network quality performance also presents mixed reports. 

A joint Quality of Experience report by NCC and Ookla, covering real network tests between June 2025 and May 2026, showed that T2mobile recorded a strong performance in download speed of 18.9 Mbps in urban and 10.1 Mbps in rural areas. Meanwhile, upload speeds were marred by connection fluctuations, with as low as 1 Mbps in urban areas as against 1.3 Mbps in rural areas. 

Delay time of connection averaged 77.5 ms, the highest compared to MTN’s 33ms, Globacom’s 35.5ms, and Airtel’s 36ms.

One year after the roaming deal agreement, T2mobile (9mobile) is still far from regaining its lost glory. Perhaps an initiative beyond network sharing is needed for true rebranding, recognition and shining on the big stage. 

Also Read: What 730,000 network tests reveal about MTN, Airtel, Globacom and T2’s performance in Nigeria.