The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has licensed seven new Internet Service Providers (ISPs), injecting fresh competition into Nigeria’s fast-growing but quality-strained internet market.
The newly approved operators—Dasol Solutions Services Limited, Boost ISP Limited, Fibre Sonic Limited, Intellivision Technologies Limited, Wetom Technologies Limited, Granet Technologies Limited, and Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited—have been granted five-year operational licences effective January 1, 2026. With this development, the total number of licensed ISPs in Nigeria has risen to 231, up from 224 just a month ago.
Amazon Kuiper’s entry is particularly significant, marking the arrival of another global satellite broadband player in Nigeria. Most of the new licensees are based in Lagos, while Wetom Technologies operates from Abuja and Granet Technologies from Imo State.
Despite the growing number of operators, Nigeria’s ISP market remains highly concentrated. Three providers—Spectranet, Starlink, and FibreOne—account for about 65 percent of the 313,713 active ISP subscribers recorded by mid-2025. Spectranet leads with 99,520 subscribers, followed by Starlink with 66,523 and FibreOne with 37,117. Other notable players include ipNX with 15,636 subscribers and Tizeti with 13,996.
Even so, the ISP segment remains marginal when compared with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). As of November 2025, MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile collectively served 99.5 percent of Nigeria’s 144.7 million internet users, underscoring the dominance of mobile broadband in the country.
The NCC’s latest licensing move comes at a critical moment. Nigerians consumed a record 1.236 million terabytes of data in November 2025 alone, reflecting the rapid expansion of the digital economy and the rising demand for more reliable connectivity. Businesses, in particular, are increasingly turning to fixed and satellite-based internet services, which often offer greater stability than mobile data.
By opening the door to global satellite operators such as Amazon’s Project Kuiper, BeetleSat-1, and Satelio IoT Services, the NCC appears to be pursuing a deliberate strategy to close connectivity gaps in underserved and hard-to-reach areas where fibre infrastructure is limited.
According to NCC data, the increase in competition is a welcome development, especially as Nigerians continue to demand better quality of service for critical daily activities, including digital payments and online business operations.
With more providers entering the market, expectations are rising that intensified competition will not only improve service quality but also help moderate internet access costs for consumers across the country.
