Broadband penetration climbs to 56.79%
…As internet subscriptions decline marginally to 156.86m in June
By Juliet Umeh
Nigeria’s active telecommunications subscriptions rose to 192.23 million in June 2026, from 189.68 million in May, while teledensity increased to 88.67 percent, latest industry data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows.
The development came as broadband penetration also rose to 56.79 percent in June, up from 56.11 percent in May, indicating continued expansion of digital connectivity across the country.
According to NCC data, the total number of active telecom subscriptions increased by 2.56 million in the one-month period, underscoring continued demand for mobile connectivity for communication, business, financial services, and other digital activities.
The data showed that MTN Nigeria retained its position as the market leader, with 98.64 million subscribers, representing 51.38 percent market share.
Airtel followed with 66.12 million subscribers and 34.44 percent market share, while Globacom had 23.68 million subscribers, accounting for 12.34 percent of the market.
T2 recorded 3.54 million subscribers, representing 1.84 percent market share.
The commission’s latest figures also showed that 4G remained the dominant mobile technology in the country, accounting for 54.31 percent of total connections.
This was followed by 2G with 36.22 per cent, 3G with 4.86 percent, while 5G accounted for 4.61 percent.
Meanwhile, broadband subscriptions increased from 121.64 million in May to 123.11 million in June, pushing broadband penetration from 56.11 percent to 56.79 percent.
The development reflects the continued migration of Nigerians towards faster internet services as more economic and social activities move online.
However, internet subscriptions recorded a marginal decline during the period, falling from 157.41 million in May to 156.86 million in June.
Despite the decline in internet subscriptions, internet usage increased significantly, suggesting that existing users are consuming more data.
The NCC data showed that internet usage rose from 1,504,067.36 terabytes in May to 1,532,172.67TB in June.
This represents an increase of 28,105.31TB in one month, highlighting the growing appetite for data services among Nigerian consumers.
The rising data consumption has increased pressure on telecommunications operators to expand network capacity and invest in additional infrastructure to meet growing demand.
Speaking on the growing demand for connectivity and data services across Africa, Group Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Airtel Africa, Sunil Taldar, recently said the company was significantly increasing investment in network expansion and capacity.
Taldar said: “Our data growth and volume growth is upwards of 50 percent. To support this, one is coverage expansion.
“If you look at Africa, we see a huge opportunity. There is still only about 50 percent telecommunications penetration and about 50 percent smartphone penetration,” he said.
The latest NCC figures come amid continued investment by operators in network expansion, fibre infrastructure, spectrum and newer technologies, including 4G and 5G.
The data further underscored the growing economic importance of the telecommunications industry, with the sector contributing 9.19 percent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, in the first quarter of 2026.
The contribution reinforces the strategic role of telecommunications in supporting other sectors of the economy, including fintech, e-commerce, banking, education, transportation, entertainment and other digital services.
Industry stakeholders have consistently called for sustained investment in broadband infrastructure, improved network quality and stronger protection of critical telecommunications infrastructure to support the country’s digital transformation.
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