Industry data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows that mobile internet users fell by 574,474 in June 2026, reflecting Nigerians’ growing reliance on wired and wireless bro
Industry data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) shows that mobile internet users fell by 574,474 in June 2026, reflecting Nigerians’ growing reliance on wired and wireless broadband networks.
From 157.02 million subscribers in May 2026, mobile internet users dropped to 156.48 million in June 2026, the first sharp drop in two years. The breakdown shows MTN leads with 83.7 million users, followed by Airtel at 56.3 million subscribers and Globacom with 15.5 million. T2mobile held the rest with 802,534, a figure that hasn’t changed in three months.
The development comes amid increased internet usage and demand, reflecting that alongside the new world of work comes a shift from traditional work to embracing online spaces. While Nigerians have long relied on mobile networks provided by MTN, Airtel, Globacom and T2mobile, the demand for high-speed internet is gradually changing the narrative.
Users are now transitioning to alternative options such as fibre-to-the-x, fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), and data packages offered by internet service operators such as Spectranet, Starlink, FibreOne and other broadband networks.
Data shows that between January and June 2026, Nigeria’s active ISP subscriber base increased by 69,000 from 352,006 in Q4 2025 to 420,989 in Q2 2026.
The development coincides with a time when demand for unlimited data offerings is increasing as new phones and systems come with immersive interfaces. Running heavier background tasks, high-resolution media, and constant cloud backups makes system updates and application downloads much bigger and more frequent.
As a result, internet users are looking out for data offerings that meet their purchasing power and value, explaining the drop in mobile internet subscribers.
In fact, data used by Nigerians in June 2026 reached a new monthly usage record of 1.53 million terabytes. This shows that Nigerians are increasingly purchasing data, but their behaviour regarding which channel they spend on is gradually changing.
Also read: Starlink closes in on Spectranet with 98,642 subscribers in Nigeria.
192 million telecom users despite mobile internet shockWhile mobile internet users declined in June 2026, Nigerian telecom users increased by 2.7 million from 189.7 million to 192.2 million in June 2026, with teledensity now at 88.67%.
Industry data shows that MTN Nigeria is the highest gainer of the month with the addition of nearly 2 million new users and is gradually closing in on the 100 million mark. Airtel followed with 66.12 million users, while Globacom has 23.7 million subscribers.
T2mobile (formerly 9mobile) is distant at 3.54 million subscribers, a figure the telecom operator has stayed at for 3 months now.
In terms of network share, 4G share stood at 54.31% while 5G is now gradually at 4.61%. 2G, instead of the anticipated continued drop to create spectrum space for new networks, has increased from 36.12% to 36.22% in June. 3G is nearing its exit after dropping from 5.10% to 4.86%.
The network share shows that Nigeria is experiencing a two-speed digital transition. While urban users are transitioning to 4G and 5G, a substantial portion of the population remains firmly anchored to 2G due to device affordability and coverage barriers.
