MTN Nigeria has emerged as the leader in internet speeds across West and Central Africa, with the latest Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data revealing that the telecom giant now boasts the fastest download and upload speeds in the region.
This achievement follows an investment of over $120 million into its 5G network infrastructure.
In the second quarter of 2024, MTN Nigeria recorded a download speed of 95.62 megabits per second and an upload speed of 17.01 Mbps, its highest to date.
This impressive performance comes as a boon to the telco’s 2.6 million 5G subscribers and is expected to make MTN Nigeria a more appealing choice for potential customers. MTN currently holds a dominant 50% share of Nigeria’s telecom market.
MTN Nigeria’s 5G network outperforms other MTN Group subsidiaries, including MTN Ghana, MTN Benin, MTN Côte d’Ivoire, and MTN Cameroon, in both download and upload speeds.
It also surpasses competitors like Airtel, which, as of 2022, recorded a median download speed of 30.35 Mbps and an upload speed of 10.28 Mbps on its 4G network.
Launched in September 2022, MTN Nigeria’s 5G network initially covered seven major cities—Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, Owerri, and Maiduguri—and has since expanded rapidly.
By 2023, the network reached 11% of the population, with over 2,100 5G sites deployed nationwide. MTN’s ongoing investments have significantly improved coverage and network capabilities, positioning the company as a regional leader in the 5G space.
“The impact of 5G has so far been limited to Nigeria, as it remains in the early stages across much of the region. MTN is focused on expanding its 5G coverage, following the successes in Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, while continuing to enhance its 4G infrastructure,” said Karim Yaici, Lead Industry Analyst at Ookla.
5G adoption in Nigeria has seen rapid growth, with penetration rising from 17.2% in Q1 2023 to 35.7% in Q2 2024, surpassing South Africa’s 31.6%. While both MTN and Airtel have launched commercial 5G services in the country, MTN leads in coverage. Meanwhile, ISP Mafab Communication, which secured a 5G license in December 2021, has yet to roll out its service.
As of September 2024, Nigeria had 3.3 million 5G subscribers, or about 2.19% of the country’s 154.9 million active mobile users. MTN Nigeria dominates the 5G market, accounting for roughly 79% of the country’s 5G subscribers.
