Elon Musk’s internet startup, Starlink, became Nigeria’s third-largest Internet Service Provider (ISP) by subscriber count in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023.
This was found in the most recent ISP data issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The data revealed that the company’s active clients in Nigeria climbed to 23,897 in the fourth quarter of 2024, making it one of the country’s major ISPs.
NCC data stated that Starlink had 11,207 customers as of Q3 2023. The Q4 result indicates a 113% growth in clients quarter over quarter.
The NCC database data indicated that 245 businesses were licensed as ISPs in Nigeria at the end of 2023.
The NCC records show that the 106 ISPs had 262,206 active subscribers throughout the evaluation period.
However, compared to the country’s four mobile network operators’ internet clients, the proportion still needs to be higher. In December 2023, MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile had 163.8 million active internet subscriptions.
Meanwhile, Spectranet, one of Nigeria’s oldest ISPs, remained the market leader with 113,869 active users. FiberOne ranked second with 27,000 active users at the end of the year.
According to the NCC’s database, seven new ISPs have been licensed this year, increasing the total number to 252.
Despite its higher rates than local ISPs, Starlink, which announced its entry in Nigeria in January 2023, it attracted widespread interest among Nigerians looking to switch service providers.
The ubiquitous nature of its satellite service also encourages consumers in places with poor internet networks to use Starlink.
For several years, many local ISPs in Nigeria have had significantly fewer customers in a single year than Starlink did.
Starlink’s presence in Nigeria was formally announced in January of last year. However, this did not deter Nigerians, as they have pre-ordered their devices since 2022.
The company, which had advertised its prices in dollars as $600 for the gear and $43 for the membership, changed to naira after its official announcement.
