32.5 million Nigerians access Internet via telecoms networks

May 12, 2013 by Everest Amaefule,

   

Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson
| credits: File

A total of 32,513,261 Nigerians are accessing the Internet through telecommunications networks, a report obtained by SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday has revealed.

This means that out of the estimated population of 45 million Nigerians that have access to the Internet, 72.25 per cent are dependent on telecommunications networks.

This leaves a total of 12,486,739 users or 27.75 per cent depending on other smaller Internet Service Providers that deploy various technologies including Very Small Aperture Terminals.

Statistics provided by the Nigerian Communications Commission showed that as at February 28, 32,335,478 Internet subscribers depended on Global System for Mobile Communications networks while 177,783 Internet users depended on Code Division Multiple Access networks.

Among GSM subscribers, MTN Nigeria Communications Limited had the biggest proportion of Internet users – 21,308,725 or 65.9 per cent of the total number of Internet users that depend on GSM networks.

The closest network was Airtel, with 5,870,670 or 18.16 per cent of the GSM Internet users.

Etisalat had a total of 4,354,845 or 13.47 per cent while Glo had 801,218 or 2.48 per cent.

Among the CDMA operators, Visafone had 87,691 Internet users; Starcomms had 63,198 users while Multi-Links had 26,894.

The statistics also reflected the continued dwindling fortunes of CDMA operators. While some of the GSM subscribers grew their Internet users over a period of time, only Visafone grew the number of its Internet subscribers among CDMA operators.

As at June 30, 2012, Visafone had 82,029 subscribers; Starcomms had 110,438; while Multi-Links had 47,517 Internet users. Airtel had 3.2 million Internet users and MTN had 16,135,672. Glo had 1,014,166 while Etisalat had 5,031,019.

Several reasons account for the increasing dependence of Internet users in the country on mobile telecommunications networks. One of the reasons is the near absence of fixed networks that carry data.

The entry of GSM networks into the Internet provision has also spelt declining fortunes for the traditional ISPs.

The entry cost for most of the original ISPs could only be afforded by the rich and corporate organisations.

For those service providers, Customer Premise Equipment now cost a minimum of about N200, 000. They also charge a monthly subscription that can be about N300, 000 in the minimum. Mostly, they serve corporate clients and cybercafé operators.

On the other hand, the entry cost for individual Internet subscribers that depend on mobile telecommunications networks can be as low as N3, 000 for USB connectors that are just plugged to laptops and desktops, according to the report.

The increasing popularity of smartphones such as Blackberry, Androids and tablets also means that Internet users do not necessarily need a computer or any other equipment (apart from their phones and subscription) to connect to the Internet.

Despite the increasing penetration of Internet in the country, rural dwellers are less privileged than their counterparts in urban communities.

In both rural and urban communities, however, Internet speed remains a major issue as many users are frustrated by slow Internet speed.

Many experts have therefore advocated a broadband policy and strategy that would encourage broadband Internet rollout across the country.

The International Telecommunications Union recently reported that there were 2.75 billion Internet users in the world by the end of March.

On regional basis, there are 140 million users in Africa; 141 million users in Arab States; 1.27 billion in Asia and the Pacific; Commonwealth of Independent States, 145m; Europe, 467 million users and the Americas, 582 million users.

Internet World Stats reports that the total Internet users present a gender divide that is more evident in the less developed countries where more men use the Internet compared to women.

In the developed world, there are only two per cent fewer women than men using the Internet. In the developing world, however, 16 per cent fewer women than men use the Internet.

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