Data, Billing, Network Failures Fuel 413,587 Telecom Complaints In H1 – NCC

As NCC begins auditing operators’ compensation claims

The growing cost of staying connected in Nigeria is coming under fresh scrutiny as mobile network operators recorded 413,587 consumer complaints in the first half of 2026, with network quality, data depletion, billing and failed transactions among the issues confronting subscribers.

The figures, obtained from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), show that Airtel recorded 228,992 complaints, MTN 124,405, Globacom 56,810, while T2mobile recorded 3,885 during the six months.

Although operators resolved 406,938 complaints, representing 98.38 per cent of the total, the volume of complaints highlights the continuing difficulty of translating massive investment in telecommunications infrastructure into a consistently satisfactory experience for subscribers.

The situation is particularly significant following the telecom tariff adjustment approved by the NCC, which has increased the financial pressure on consumers at a time when mobile connectivity has become essential for banking, education, commerce, remote work, entertainment and other everyday activities.

One of the most contentious areas remains data consumption.

Between January and June, MTN recorded 12,212 complaints relating to data depletion, Airtel 9,806, Globacom 1,373 and T2mobile 5, bringing complaints on the issue across the three largest operators to 23,391.

The data-depletion complaints have assumed greater importance because subscribers are now spending more on connectivity and are increasingly demanding clearer explanations of how their purchased data is consumed.

Operators have maintained that rapid data depletion can result from high-definition video streaming, automatic application updates, cloud backups, social media activity, background synchronisation, and other processes running on smartphones.

However, the NCC’s complaint statistics indicate that consumer concerns extend beyond data usage. Complaints also cover voice and data quality, billing, failed payment transactions, recharge problems, SIM-related issues, value-added services and number portability.

The regulator has responded by moving towards a more direct consumer-redress mechanism. Under its compensation framework, subscribers affected by prolonged or repeated poor network performance in qualifying Local Government Areas can receive automatic airtime compensation when operators fail to meet prescribed quality-of-service standards.

The compensation framework, which took effect in April 2026, covers voice, data and SMS services.

The NCC said eligible subscribers do not have to submit individual applications, as operators are expected to identify affected customers through network-performance and billing records.

The commission has also begun auditing operators’ compensation claims. In June, it disclosed that operators had reported compensating more than 75 million subscribers, prompting an independent validation exercise to establish whether the reported payments reached all eligible customers.

Meanwhile, the operators are introducing tools to reduce disputes over data consumption by giving customers greater visibility into how their bundles are used.

MTN, for instance, has expanded its data-monitoring tools through the myMTN platform, where subscribers can examine application-level data usage. Its data-management resources also include a calculator that estimates monthly consumption based on users’ devices and usage patterns.

Airtel also provides subscribers with data balance and usage management options through its app and USSD channels. At the same time, its consumer information resources explain how activities such as video streaming, application updates, synchronisation, and background processes can accelerate data consumption.

Globacom similarly provides multiple channels for subscribers to check their data balances, including USSD, SMS and its digital platforms.

These measures are emerging as the telecom market experiences rapid growth in both subscribers and data demand. NCC figures show that by July 2026, MTN had 100.86m subscribers, Airtel 66.76m, Globacom 23.63m and T2mobile 3.61m, underlining the enormous scale of the market in which network performance and customer experience are being tested.

The regulator has also pointed to infrastructure expansion as a major part of the response. It said operators invested more than N2.13trn in network infrastructure and upgrades in 2025, while Tower Companies committed another N373.8bn, with operators continuing large-scale deployments in 2026.

Yet infrastructure investment alone has not eliminated consumer complaints. Fibre cuts, vandalism, equipment theft, power challenges, and congestion continue to affect network performance across different parts of the country, creating a gap between network expansion and the quality of service users experience.

For consumers, therefore, the emerging issue is increasingly not just access to a mobile network but the value, reliability and transparency attached to every naira spent on connectivity.

As data becomes the backbone of digital payments, business operations, education and communication, persistent complaints could place greater pressure on operators and the NCC to demonstrate that measurable improvements are matching higher connectivity costs in service quality.

The NCC’s publication of operator-level complaint figures, coupled with its compensation regime, suggests that the next phase of Nigeria’s telecom development will increasingly be measured not only by subscriber numbers, coverage or infrastructure investment, but by how effectively operators resolve consumer problems and give subscribers confidence in the services for which they pay.