The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved six new Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to operate in the country, effective January 1, 2026.
This development would no doubt intensify competition in
Nigeria’s broadband market which is set for further expansion.
It will also signal sustained regulatory support for market entry and consumer choice.
Updated figures from the NCC’s licensing database show that the number of authorised ISPs has increased to 231 from 225 in December 2025.
The newly licensed operators are Intellivision Technologies Limited, Granet Technologies Limited, Fibre Sonic Limited, Dasol Solution Services Limited, Boost ISP Limited, and Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited.
Five of the companies are based in Lagos, while Granet Technologies Limited is headquartered in Owerri, Imo State, underscoring the continued concentration of broadband activity around Nigeria’s major commercial centres.
Industry data indicate that most ISPs remain clustered around Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, where demand is strongest and infrastructure is more developed.
High right-of-way charges, security challenges, and the capital-intensive nature of network deployment have continued to limit expansion into less commercially viable regions, contributing to uneven broadband access nationwide.
Despite the steady issuance of new licences, many existing ISPs are operating under increasingly difficult conditions.
Fixed broadband providers face growing pressure from mobile network operators, MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile, whose flexible and competitively priced data offerings appeal to a wide customer base.
Satellite broadband services have also reshaped consumer expectations around coverage and speed.
“You cannot fight the big players; that is the reality.
What we are asking for is a way to work harmoniously, where everyone gets a piece of the pie,” said Chidi Ibisi, Executive Director, Business Development at Broadbased Communications Ltd, noting that scale, nationwide reach, and access to capital naturally favour dominant players.
Stakeholders say innovation and service differentiation are increasingly critical for ISPs seeking long-term relevance. Kehinde Joda, Head of Regulatory and Public Relations at FibreOne, said many operators still rely on traditional connectivity-focused models, adding that service quality, customer experience, and responsiveness to evolving user needs now matter as much as technology.
He also identified infrastructure costs as a major challenge, particularly for fibre-based operators that require heavy upfront investment and long payback periods at a time of falling prices and rising consumer expectations.
Competition within the ISP space has expanded beyond the traditional rivalry between fixed broadband providers and mobile operators.
Satellite broadband has emerged as a strong alternative due to its rapid deployment and wide coverage.
Starlink, which entered Nigeria in 2023, has grown to become the country’s second-largest ISP by subscriber numbers, drawing customers from several local providers.
The licensing of Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited is expected to further reshape the market, positioning the Amazon-backed service as a direct competitor to Starlink in Nigeria’s low-earth-orbit satellite broadband segment.
The NCC has said such approvals reflect Nigeria’s openness to global broadband providers and its commitment to improving connectivity in underserved and hard-to-reach areas.
Recent NCC data point to rising market concentration, with figures for the second quarter of 2025 showing that Spectranet, Starlink, and FibreOne accounted for about 65 per cent of all active ISP subscribers in Nigeria.
At the time, total ISP subscriptions stood at 313,713, with Spectranet leading at 99,520 customers, followed by Starlink with 66,523 and FibreOne with 37,117.
As new licences are issued and satellite operators expand their footprint, analysts say competition in Nigeria’s ISP market will continue to deepen, placing renewed emphasis on sustainability, regulation, and the future delivery of broadband services nationwide.
