Spectranet Limited has strengthened its position as Nigeria’s largest internet service provider, recording 108,525 active subscribers as of 2025 and reclaiming its place in the 100,000-subscriber tier.
New industry figures released Wednesday by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), covering Q4 2025, show that total active ISP subscriptions in Nigeria have climbed to 352,006, up from 313,713 in Q2 2025. The increase points to steady growth in the fixed-internet segment, even as most Nigerians continue to depend primarily on mobile data services.
Wireless internet users accounted for 243,608 subscriptions, while 108,398 were connected via wired services.
Trailing Spectranet among the top five providers is Starlink, the satellite internet service backed by Elon Musk, with 91,991 subscribers. FibreOne Broadband Limited ranked third with 44,413 users, followed by ipNX Nigeria Limited at 15,416, and Tizeti Network Limited with 12,000 subscribers.
Other notable operators include Broadbased Communications Limited (10,448), Ngcom Limited (6,917), VDT Communications (4,479), and Cyberspace Network Limited (4,087).
Out of more than 120 licensed ISPs operating in Nigeria, the top five now control 80.3% of the total subscriber base. The remaining 19.7% is shared among smaller providers, underscoring the widening gap between dominant players and smaller operators struggling to scale.
High operating costs—driven by fibre deployment, diesel, spectrum fees, international bandwidth, and right-of-way charges—continue to weigh heavily on smaller ISPs. Many depend on infrastructure owned by larger companies, meaning a significant portion of their revenue is spent on leasing and interconnection rather than network expansion. For consumers, this consolidation often translates into fewer provider choices within their locations.
A mixed end to 2025 for ISPs
The latest data suggests that customers are gradually adjusting to the price increases introduced in early 2025, following a 50% telecoms tariff adjustment across the industry. ISPs raised prices to offset rising operational costs, foreign-exchange pressures, and higher import expenses. However, the immediate impact was negative.
In Q1 2025, roughly 18,000 users exited the ISP market. During that period, Starlink recorded a 14% drop in subscribers, Spectranet declined by 2.08%, while FibreOne experienced the steepest fall at 42.4%.
By Q2 2025, total subscriptions stood at 313,113, though several providers continued to see losses. Spectranet’s active users slipped to 99,520 from 103,252 in Q1, marking a second consecutive quarterly decline, while Starlink’s subscriber count fell to 66,523.
The rebound reflected in Q4 figures suggests a stabilising market, but the data also highlights an industry increasingly dominated by a handful of well-capitalised players as smaller ISPs struggle to remain competitive.
