The telecommunications industry witnessed a mix of outcomes, policy formations and challenges during the first half of 2026. These, in turn, have shaped the experience of millions of Nigerians making calls, sending SMS and accessing the internet daily for business and personal attainment.
In this article, we will explore and explain these numbers and growth and the shortfalls that they indicate.
Let’s start with the positive.
1. The good
Data consumption
Industry reports released between January and April indicate that the internet has become a critical part of citizens’ existence. Within the first four months of 2026, telecom operators gained more than 6.6 million new internet subscribers.
March and April recorded the top two months with the most data consumed since the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) started recording the statistics in January 2023 with with 1.422 million terabytes and 1.414 million terabytes.
The result is significant revenue growth for operators.
MTN Nigeria recorded ₦826.1 billion from data during the first quarter (a 55.15% of the operator’s total revenue of ₦1.498 trillion). Similarly, Airtel Nigeria’s data revenue of $244 million (₦329.4 billion) powered its total revenue for the quarter to $475 million (₦641.3 billion).
4G is gaining control
At a time when a quality internet experience is what defines the value of data prices, the network’s strength becomes critical. While a majority of internet users use the 2G/3G spectrums, the industry report indicates that 4G is taking over.
In 2026 alone, 4G gained 1.95% additional market share to retain a 54.41% majority. While the growth is small, the impact is worthwhile. It shows the continued…
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Read Full Article by Joshua Fagbemi at technext24.com
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