This list excludes the Mobile Network Operators
Internet service provisioning in Nigeria is one business that has continued to attract more players despite the peculiar challenges in the operating environment. This year alone, the Nigerian Communications Commission has licensed additional 38 companies including Elon Musk’s Starlink as Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
This brought the total number of ISPs in the country to 225 as of September 2022. The rising number of ISPs is expected to boost the country’s broadband penetration target by 70% by 2025.
The ISPs, operating in their license domain different from the mobile network operators, are serving mainly corporate organisations and homes, as opposed to the likes of MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile, who are targeting the entire spectrum of internet users in the country.
It is, therefore, not surprising that while the MNOs are having over 150 million subscriptions, the ISPs are counting hundreds of thousand subscribers. As of Q2 2022, the total connected subscribers of the ISPs stood at 400,709, according to the data released by the NCC.
While some of the newly licensed ISPs are yet to commence business, NCC’s data for Q2 2022, reveals the position of 112 active ISPs in terms of customer number and points of presence in the country.
Based on the available data, here are the top 10 ISPs in Nigeria by customer numbers as of Q2 2022:
- Spectranet
Spectranet was awarded a License from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in 2009 to promote Internet services across Nigeria. Spectranet was among the first Internet Service Providers to launch 4G LTE internet service in Nigeria and aims to be a leader in the Internet Services space.
The latest data on the NCC’s website shows that this company had the largest connected and active customers out of all the ISPs licenced by the Commission. While the company has 275, 973 connected customers, its active customers stood at 113,900. The company had a point of presence in 626 locations across Nigeria. - Tizeti
Tizeti provides high-speed broadband internet to Residences, businesses, Events, and Conferences and deploys public Wi-fi Hotspots at locations across Africa. The company is leveraging the large wireless capacity available with Wi-fi and plummeting the cost of solar panels to create a low CAPEX/OPEX network of owned & operated towers to offer disruptive, customer-friendly pricing for unlimited internet service right across Africa.
According to NCC’s database, the company is the second-largest ISP in Nigeria in terms of subscriber number. Tizeti’s total connected subscribers as of Q2 2022 were 37, 368 while 17,401 of those customers were active. The ISP had points of presence in 130 locations. - IPNX
ipNX occupies the third position in terms of customer numbers among licensed ISPs in Nigeria. The company is one of the country’s fastest-growing ISPs, serving a multitude of needs across enterprises, small businesses, and residents with innovative, world-class services.
As a pioneer and a leading Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH) operator in Nigeria, IPNX as of Q2 this year had 18, 130 connected subscribers, while 12, 544 of those customers were active. Its points of presence are in 54 locations. - Astramix Limited
Astramix Limited is a provider of fast and reliable uninterruptible data and internet broadband. The company says it uses first-class communication technology and has the most reliable, uninterruptible, and efficient top-of-the-range data solutions in the market.
With Grade ‘A’ brands as its exclusive sources of airtime, hardware, and technology, the ISP is expanding its markets and operational bases to provide uninterrupted connectivity specifically to Nigeria’s Business and Private sectors.
Astamix which was number 9 in the Q1 ranking of the ISPs has jumped to number 4 as it gained more customers. As of Q2 2022, its connected customers stood at 15,000, while 10,000 were actively connected. The company had 5 points of presence. - VDT Communications
VDT is a licensed Private Network service provider specialising in the provision of Enterprise-Wide Area Network (WAN) and Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) link connectivity using Fiber Optic and Wireless Communication infrastructure and access networks. VDT is a Broadband communication service provider to corporate organizations with leased Fiber Optic trunks to the thirty-six (36) states in Nigeria and the FCT, where they have 59 Point-Of-Presence (POP) and complement of technical support staffers.
According to the NCC’s data, as of Q2 2022, VDT had 12,185 total connected subscribers with 6, 605 active users. - Cyberspace Network Limited
Cyberspace was founded in 1995 and commenced operation the same year as a wholly-owned Nigerian Company. With a mission to provide excellent value-added ICT services and cutting-edge networking solutions, the company has been able to distinguish itself as a complete network and software solution provider in the industry with its state-of-the-art and world-class internet protocol(IP) infrastructure.
In 2014, the company deployed its 4G LTE network infrastructure with a promise to deliver 10x more speed, mobility, and security to its customers. According to NCC’s database, Cyberspace as of Q2 2022, had 4,235 connected customers and all of them were actively subscribed. The ISP is present in 138 locations across Nigeria. - 21st Century Ltd
21st Century Technologies Limited is a Licensed Information Communications and Technology Services Provider in Nigeria incorporated in 1997. The company owns and operates one of the most extensive optical fibre cable metropolitan networks in Nigeria with speeds up to 10Gbps, high-speed Corporate Dedicated Internet Access and IRUs for a total of 10Gbps, and fully redundant International subsea fibre capacity with two separate vendors.
As of Q2 2022, it had 5,296 customers out of which 2,571 were actively subscribed to its service. The ISP had a presence in 50 places. - Suburban Broadband Ltd
Suburban Broadband Ltd is a next-generation multimedia service provider with fibre optics networks in major cities in Nigeria, including Lagos and Abuja. Its products include subscription access to premium content, TV, Internet, and Voice services, as well as connected homes, security, and utility management solutions.
The company had 4,419 connected customers and all of them were active. It had only 4 points of presence. - Cobranet Limited
Launched in 2003, Cobranet Limited is rated as a leading Internet Service and data provider in Nigeria. The company provides every segment of Nigerian society with a reliable and secure Internet Service and Data management solution to the digital universe.
Cobranet currently offers corporate internet plans for organisations and medium-sized businesses over a state-of-the-art -radio network in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt as well as residential plans. As of Q2 2022, the company had 3,621 subscribers and interestingly all of them are active, thus achieving 100% customer activeness. The company had a presence in 84 locations. - Radical Technology Network Ltd
Radical Technology Network Ltd is a Nigerian ISP with its head office located in Lagos and with a presence in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Onitsha. Over the years, the company has ensured the highest levels of customer responsiveness and service quality, a trait that has earned it a long-standing relationship with its customers and made it one of the most reliable ISPs in Nigeria.
A total of 2,556 customers were subscribing to the ISP’s service as of Q2 2022, while 1,882 of them were active. The company had 6 points of presence.