9mobile Emerges Biggest Loser as NCC Releases List of Telcos with Most Subscribers in Nigeria
- Nigerian network provider, 9mobile, has emerged as the biggest loser in the number of portability activities
- A report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) revealed that 9mobile lost over 6,000 subscribers in two months
- Also, the telecom company saw its market share shrink to 1.9% at 3.2 million subscribers in the review period
Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.
Nigerian network operator, 9mobile has continued to struggle, experiencing a decline in its subscriber base, with over 6,000 customers porting out of its network in two months.
The porting loss for the telco occurred in November 2024.
Source: UGC
9mobile emerges biggest loser in number portability
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) disclosed this in its Incoming and Outgoing Porting Activity of Mobile Networks Operators Report.
The telecom industry regulator said that of the 2,998 subscribers who ported between networks in December last year, 2,188 subscribers left 9 Mobile to other networks.
According to the report, of the 4,726 subscribers that switched networks, 9 Mobile lost 3,891 subscribers to other networks.
The development brought the total number of subscribers lost by 9 Mobile to 6,079.
NCC revealed that other operators recorded negligible outgoing porting relative to 9mobile.
Per the report, in December last year, MTN lost 236 customers, Airtel saw a decline of 269, Glo recorded 305, while 9 Mobile recorded the heaviest loss of 2,188 subscribers.
MTN gained most subscribers
Regarding incoming porting, MTN gained the most customers from other networks, with 1,856 making the telco their preferred network.
Vanguard reports that about 835 ported to Airtel, while Glo welcomed 290 subscribers, and 9 Mobile recorded an abysmal 17 incoming porting.
The NCC disclosed that in November 2024, 4,726 phone numbers were ported between networks.
In the NCC’s outgoing porting activities for November 2024, 9 Mobile emerged as the biggest loser with 3,891 subscribers leaving its network.
Other telecom operators lost a few subscribers in the review period, with MTN recording a loss of 166 customers, Airtel saw 362 customers leave its network, and Glo recorded 307 subscriber loss.
For incoming porting activities in November 2024, the NCC report disclosed that MTN gained the highest, with 3,019 subscribers added to its network, Airtel recorded 1,266 incoming subscribers, and Glo welcomed 414 customers in the period under review.
Relative to other networks, 9mobile remained the worst hit, with a mere 27 subscribers moving to its network.
The report revealed that there were more incoming and outgoing porting activities in November last year than in December.
About 2,998 activities were recorded in December, while November recorded 4,726 porting activities.
The telecom regulator disclosed a decline of 1,728 in mobile number portability activities in December, relative to November 2024.
Telcos with the biggest market share
Regarding market share, the telecom industry saw a significant move in market dynamics, with 9mobile’s market share shrinking to 1.9% in December, NCC said.
The commission said the decline is huge compared to 9mobile’s earlier dominance when it controlled 23.4 million subscribers and a 15.7% market share in 2015.
The telco’s stagnant subscriber base remained the same for two months at 3.2 million, leading to experts questioning its profitability.
Meanwhile, other operators have seen a surge in subscribers in contrast to 9 Mobile’s abysmal performance.
The report disclosed that MTN remained the market leader, increasing its market share to 51%, with 84.6 million subscribers in December from 81.2 million the previous month.
Airtel also showed strength, growing its subscriber base to 56.6 million in December, from 55.4 million in November.
Glo ranked third with a subscriber growth of 20.1 million from 19.6 million in November 2024.
NCC approves 50% tariff hike
The development comes amid a 50% tariff increase announced by the Nigerian government.
The telcos expressed confidence in the hike, saying that earnings from the tariff would be invested in critical infrastructure.
They also revealed that the new tariff would be implemented soon as the operators are getting the required regulatory approvals.
More banks pay telcos reject deadline extension
Legit.ng earlier reported that telecommunications firms and the Nigerian Communications Commission have rejected extending the timeframe for banks to pay off their obligations related to Unstructured Supplementary Service Data.
In light of this, lenders that are in default are rushing to fulfil the deadline by Monday's close of business.
The telcos said that there were only seven banks in arrears, down from nine at the beginning. Only two lenders had paid out of these. Six banks remained in arrears as of Monday's end, with one more bank indicating its intention to settle.
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Source: Legit.ng
