Data grandmasters, Globacom, drove the growth in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry in the third quarter of 2020, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The data showed that the sector grew substantially in the quarter propelled by data subscriptions which rose by 23 percent year on year to stand at 151,063,413 million subscribers at the end of September 2020. The figure for the corresponding period of 2019 was 122,792,291.
While Globacom recorded a 33.2 percent growth in its internet subscriber base between September 2019, and September 2020, MTN which came second had a growth percentage of 24.5 during the same period. Airtel, on its part, recorded 21.4% growth year on year. On the other hand, the NBS report showed that the fourth operator, 9mobile, witnessed a decline during the period under review. The network suffered a 14% slide in its internet subscriber figures between September 2019, and September 2020.
Glo data services are powered by the huge capacity international submarine cable called Glo-1, a wholly-owned facility that brought unprecedented bandwidth from Europe to Nigeria and other West African countries.
Globacom’s remarkable performance in the sector is believed to be a result of the continuing network upgrade which has enhanced data service delivery to its subscribers. Company sources say Globacom is also continuing the extension of its massive fibre routes pan Nigeria at an accelerated pace so as to further improve broadband penetration and the range of Glo 4G+ data services to all parts of the country.
In addition to this, Globacom offers subscribers attractive data packages with unmatched value. For instance, 7GB goes for only N1500, while N10,000 gives the subscriber 50GB. It also has the Mega Data plans meant for Home Broadband users such as Small Office Home Office (SOHO) and SME customers as well as high-end customers who have the need for higher data benefits with longer validity periods. Apart from these, Globacom also has numerous social data plans which meet every customer’s social needs.