Telecom
The Odds of Fixed Line Service in Broadband Penetration
Among the different channels of telecommunications service delivery is fixed wired which involves direct to home connections against the common mobile system.
This system was prominently used in the early days of telecommunications services in Nigeria by defunct Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), the reliability and quality service delivery of this system is not in doubt. However, the advent of mobile in the ecosystem dealt a big blow on fixed line service that today is the list used and patronised even where the service is available.
According to Nigerian Communications Commission’s recent statistic on fixed wired line subscription as at September 2019 there are only 107,250 subscribers of services through this channel dropping from 107,949 in January the same year.
More so, according to the Africa Digital Outlook 2019 report from market research firm Ovum, “fixed broadband household penetration in Africa was about 8.5% at end-2Q19, lower than in any other world region, except Central and Southern Asia.”
Sharing his thoughts with Nigeria CommunicationsWeek on the potentials of fixed line services, Engr. Olusola Teniola, president, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) said: “Fixed-line services complements mobile services and in more developed economies and due to legacy issues acts as the foundation and primary access to telecommunication services.
“However, in Nigeria and with the death of NITEL the gradual decline and withdrawal of fixed-line services to the home, means that a great number of fixed-line supplementary services taken for granted in other climes and well-proven productive enhancing features available on the fixed-line networks are not delivered on the mobile networks deployed in Africa, especially Nigeria.
“With fiber now being the chosen media for fixed-line networks going forward it is very apparent that FTTH deployments will provide higher levels of data thru put and higher levels of Quality of Services for live streaming media at both 4K and 8K definitions”.
In a Speedtest Global Index, on a global level, fixed broadband speeds were nearly twice as fast as those on mobile in 2018. The world’s average download speed on fixed broadband was 46.12 Mbps, 26.4% faster than last year. Upload speed increased 26.5% to 22.44 Mbps.
All said, though, both mobile and fixed broadband speeds increased at a slower rate in 2018 than they did in 2017.
Where we got it wrong
Mohammed Rudman, managing director, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) said: “The ship has sailed – We allowed the largest fixed telephone network operator to go under, NITEL would have been the perfect vehicle to deliver fixed broadband.
“Most countries strengthen and privatize their national carrier before providing license to other operators that is why today companies such as British Telecoms, France Telecoms and South African telecoms are still in existence. Unfortunately building such companies requires huge investment; hence it would be very difficult to go that route these days, especially with advent of wireless technology.
Teniola explained that: “There is a unwritten understanding that until there is a compelling fixed-line business case demonstrating a rate of return that exceeds that of mobile service business case, it is virtually impossible for any investor to fund capital to rolling out FTTH on a large scale.
“Currently, in Africa there are close to 800m unique mobile subscribers and with the advent of 5G the argument to support fiber-to-the home is going to be challenged and further supports the argument that fixed-line networks are viable for backbone, enterprise and metro network deployments and possibly in support of fiber-to-the-Towers, however, last-mile wireless technologies will be the dominant access medium that supports the return of investments operators across the continent seek.
He urged Government MDA(s) as a way forward to adopt fixed-line FTTB/P connections as part of their private voice and data networks that can connect the various government data centers, government offices and parastatals under the e-Gov project. This can then be extended to interconnect with State Governments (FTTB/P) private networks to provide a secure and scalable communication infrastructure as the Government digitises and digitalises its current processes.
Telecom
Celebrating African Creativity: Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ Returns for Its Fifth Year
The “Made by Africa, Loved by the World” campaign is back for its fifth year, celebrating African creativity and global influence. This year’s theme, “Where Culture Meets Connection,” highlights how social media fosters conversations around cultural moments worldwide.
The campaign features three cinematic films premiering on the Meta Africa page, showcasing the groundbreaking work and personal stories of six dynamic African creatives.
These artists, from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, represent diverse disciplines, including rap, animation, dance, photography, fashion, and videography.
Here are some of the featured talents:
- Ladipoe (Nigeria) – A BET-nominated rapper known for blending global hip-hop with African rhythms.
- Fatboy Animations (Kenya) – An animation studio founded by Michael Muthiga, recognized by Forbes for its original African storytelling.
- Lisa Quama (Ghana) – A dancer who gained fame after appearing in Beyoncé’s “Already” music video.
- Gilbert Asante (Ghana) – A photographer and creative director featured in GQ and Glam Africa.
- David Tlale (South Africa) – A fashion designer whose bold designs have been showcased at major fashion events, including the Met Gala.
- Ofentse Mwase (South Africa) – A filmmaker with over 24 international awards for his unique visual storytelling.
Kezia Anim-Addo, Communications Director for Africa, Middle East & Turkey, emphasized that the campaign not only celebrates individual success stories but also showcases how culture and social media drive meaningful connections and inspiration.
Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has raised the alarm over a diesel supply crisis caused by an ongoing strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Mr Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON in a statement said that the fuel supply disruption is critically affecting telecom base stations, pushing them to the brink of a shutdown and threatening millions of mobile and internet users in the region.
“This strike, which stems from the persistent harassment of tanker and petroleum product drivers by police officers in Lagos State, has effectively halted all truck loading operations and fuel movements,” Emoekpere stated.
He explained that diesel supply to telecom infrastructure has been severely impacted, leaving critical sites with dangerously low fuel levels.
According to him, if urgent measures are not taken, the situation could escalate into a full-blown network blackout, disrupting essential services, including mobile and internet access, business operations, emergency response systems, and daily communications.
ATCON has called on the governors of Lagos and Ogun states to intervene immediately by facilitating the release of diesel from depots to telecom operators to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
“This is not just a telecom issue—it is a national emergency that could cripple economic activities and compromise public safety,” Emoekpere stressed.
The association also appealed to security agencies and petroleum unions to resolve the crisis swiftly to safeguard Nigeria’s connectivity and economic stability.
ATCON emphasised that a prolonged disruption in fuel supply to telecom infrastructure could have far-reaching consequences for both businesses and individuals who rely on stable communication networks for daily operations.
In 2023, Nigerians spent a total of about ₦5.3 trillion on telecommunications services, which includes calls, data, SMS, and other telecom services, according to the Leadership.
Specifically for voice calls, Nigerians made approximately 408.5 billion minutes of local calls, generating around ₦3.28 trillion from outgoing calls and ₦3.23 trillion from incoming calls, totaling about ₦6.51 trillion in call-related revenue according to projections based on 2023 call volumes and tariff data.
However, the ₦5.3 trillion figure represents the overall telecom sector revenue, with voice calls being a major component but also including data and other services.
For individual spending, MTN subscribers spent an average of ₦2,508 monthly on voice calls in 2023, showing a 14.4% increase from 2022, while Airtel customers spent about ₦1,694 monthly on voice calls.
Total telecom spending (calls, data, SMS, etc.): ₦5.3 trillion in 2023
Estimated revenue from voice calls alone: around ₦6.5 trillion based on call minutes and tariffs
Average monthly spending on calls per subscriber: ₦1,694 to ₦2,508 depending on the network
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