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Spending on Telecom, Pay TV Services Hobbled by Inflation – IDC
International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Semiannual Telecom Services Tracker, has reported that worldwide spending on telecommunication and pay TV services will reach $1,55-trillion in 2023, an increase of 3 per cent over 2022.
The latest forecast is one percentage point higher than the previous forecast published in May.
This is the third increase in the forecast in the last 12 months with inflation being the primary driver.
The geographic regions seeing above-average forecast revisions are the Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Latin America.
This is mainly a consequence of hyperinflation happening in countries such as Turkey, Uganda, Egypt, and Argentina where it has become normal to see quarterly ARPUs (average revenue per user) growing by more than 50% on a yearly basis.
On the other hand, expectations for the telecom services market in Western Europe have been lowered slightly primarily due to a worsened economic environment in a few key countries including Germany.
IDC believes this is the first sign of a new market force emerging that will put the current growth rates under pressure and slowly bring them down toward the end of the forecast period.
Inflation is certainly a global phenomenon, but the trends it shapes in different local markets vary significantly. In many countries, telecom operators were allowed by regulators to increase their tariffs (often applying a Consumer Price Index model), resulting in healthy service revenue growth on an annual basis.
In other countries, however, this move drove the accelerated migration of customers to cheaper tariff packages and cheaper operators so the value growth rates were much lower than the nominal tariff increases.
A third group includes countries such as Italy, where the competitive situation did not permit operators to do any tariff adjustments.
And among a fourth group of countries, mainly the developing countries in Eastern Europe and Africa, tariff increases were prevented by the populations’ low purchasing power.
An analysis by type of telecom services confirms that the well-known trends continue despite the changes in top-line forecasts.
Mobile is and will remain the largest segment driven by the growth in mobile data usage and machine-to-machine (M2M) applications which are offsetting declines in spending on mobile voice and messaging services.
The fixed data services segment will also grow driven by the need for higher bandwidth services will fall over the forecast period as rapidly declining TDM voice revenues are not being offservices. Spending on fixed voice set by the increase in IP voice.
The traditional Pay TV market will decline slightly over the forecast period due to the growing popularity of video on demand (VoD) and over the top (OTT) services, but these services will remain an important part of the multi-play offerings of telecom providers across the world.
Prices of all goods and services have been increasing for quite some time. Economic growth has recently started to decelerate following increases in central bank interest rates.
Consumers and businesses have been under pressure as they try to maintain a balance between rising costs and limited budgets. Although the elasticity of the telecom services is relatively low, and it is hard for customers to imagine everyday life without them, any excessive tariff increases might affect demand.
“Operators need to carefully evaluate every single market for tolerance to price increases,” said Kresimir Alic, research director, Worldwide Telecom Services at IDC.
“They should continuously assess and compare the product mixes, quality of services, pricing, and customer support capabilities of all supply-side participants. That information should help them find a magic percentage that will not scare the customers away, have positive impact on revenues, and help them maintain healthy margins in these turbulent times.”
Anambra State has once again demonstrated its leadership in digital transformation, emerging as one of Nigeria’s top three states in the 2025 e-Governance Report published by the Panorama CIAPS Governance Performance Index (CGPI).
According to the report — a collaborative effort between Nigerian Panorama and the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced Professional Studies (CIAPS) — Anambra ranks alongside Lagos and Enugu as the leading states in adopting and implementing e-governance practices that foster accountability, transparency, and improved service delivery.
In his remarks, Professor Anthony Kila, Director of CIAPS, emphasized the importance of e-governance in shaping how governments interact with citizens. “The centrality of e-governance allows us to assess the performance of state governments in the country. How the government treats the digital world says a lot about them,” he said.
The report evaluated states based on a comprehensive set of criteria, including website security, up-to-date content, public engagement, availability of online services, policy updates, and user accessibility. Anambra’s performance reflects the state’s deliberate investment in digital infrastructure and its commitment to leveraging technology as a tool for inclusive governance.
Reacting to the recognition, the Managing Director/CEO of the Anambra State ICT Agency, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, CFA, described the report as a welcome validation of the efforts being made under the leadership of Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, to reposition Anambra as a liveable and prosperous smart mega-city.
“This is not just about being tech-savvy,” Agbata said. “It’s about using digital tools to create real impact — making the government more accessible, responsive, and transparent. Anambra is building a digital future that works for everyone.”
The CGPI Report recommended that all states intensify efforts to train public servants, maintain digital platforms effectively, and build user-friendly systems that keep citizens informed and empowered. For Anambra, this recognition serves both as a milestone and a motivation to scale new heights.
As the journey continues, Anambra remains focused on setting the pace for e-governance in Nigeria in line with the Governor’s mantra of Everything Technology & Technology Everywhere.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the National Assembly to reject the Tinubu administration’s request to borrow $24 billion, warning that the move would significantly deepen Nigeria’s debt crisis.
In a statement posted on its official X account, the advocacy group warned that the proposed borrowing would raise Nigeria’s total debt stock to an estimated ₦183 trillion—an amount it described as “clearly not sustainable and not in the public interest.”
“The National Assembly must immediately refuse to approve the Tinubu administration’s request to borrow $24 billion,” the group said. “The growing national debt is not sustainable and not in the public interest.”
SERAP expressed concern over the heavy burden of debt servicing, which it said is already consuming a substantial portion of government revenue, leaving little room for critical public investment.
Nigeria’s total public debt is projected to surpass ₦180 trillion following the president’s latest loan request. The borrowing plan includes a proposal for over $21.5 billion in external loans, which equates to ₦33.39 trillion at the official exchange rate of ₦1,590 per dollar. The administration is also seeking approval for a domestic bond issuance worth ₦757.9 billion to settle outstanding pension liabilities.
President Tinubu said the 2025–2026 borrowing plan targets key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education, water supply, security, and employment generation. He noted that the plan is also intended to cushion the economic impact of fuel subsidy removal.
The total loan request comprises $21.5 billion, €2.19 billion, and 15 billion Japanese Yen, alongside a €65 million grant. Tinubu assured lawmakers that the funds would be directed toward development projects across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with emphasis on rail networks, healthcare infrastructure, and poverty alleviation programs.
On pension-related borrowing, the president explained that the proposed bond issuance is aimed at clearing backlogs under the Contributory Pension Scheme. The measure, he added, has already received approval from the Federal Executive Council and is expected to improve retirees’ welfare, restore trust in the pension system, and inject liquidity into the economy.
Nigeria’s public debt has surged in recent years, rising by 48.6% in 2024 to ₦144.66 trillion—up from ₦97.34 trillion in 2023. The Federal Government accounts for 95% of that total.
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