Starlink becomes Nigeria’s second-largest ISP by subscriber numbers

• Published On: 23 February 2025 at 19:07

Elon Musk's satellite internet company, Starlink, has emerged as Nigeria's second-largest Internet Service Provider (ISP) by subscriber numbers as of the third quarter of 2024, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission's most recent data release.

According to the NCC report, Starlink's active customers in Nigeria increased to 65,564 by the end of Q3 2024, surpassing FiberOne, which had previously held the second-highest customer count. This represents a significant increase from the company's 23,897 subscribers at the end of 2023, with Starlink gaining 41,667 new customers in the first nine months of 2024.

Despite Starlink's rapid growth, Spectranet remains Nigeria's largest ISP, with 105,441 active subscribers in Q3 2024. However, the company's customer base declined by over 8,000 subscribers from 113,869 at the end of 2023.

FiberOne, now in third place, had 33,010 active customers by the end of the third quarter of 2024, highlighting Starlink's growing dominance in Nigeria's ISP market.

According to the NCC, Nigeria now has 241 licensed ISPs. However, only 124 of these providers had active subscribers by the end of Q3 2024, totaling 307,946 customers. This figure is still significantly lower than the subscriber base of the country's four major mobile network operators—MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9Mobile—which had 132.4 million active internet subscriptions as of September 2024.

Starlink has grown in popularity since its launch in Nigeria in January 2023, despite its higher subscription costs than local ISPs. The widespread availability of its satellite internet service has made it an appealing option, especially in areas with limited network coverage.

Many local ISPs, despite years of operation, have far fewer subscribers than Starlink, which has expanded dramatically in less than two years. However, the company encountered regulatory issues, including a price increase dispute with the NCC. Starlink raised its monthly subscription fee from N38,000 to N75,000 in December 2023, which the telecom regulator initially contested due to a lack of prior approval.

Due to high demand, Starlink suspended new orders in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt in 2024, citing capacity constraints. Similarly, the service was sold out in both Benin City and Warri.