Nigeria’s 5G Rollout Stalls: Limited Coverage Three Years On
Nigeria’s ambitious rollout of 5G technology appears to be facing significant hurdles. Despite considerable financial investment from telecommunications providers, the latest figures from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reveal that only 3% of the country’s internet subscribers, translating to just over 4 million users, are currently utilizing the ultra-fast 5G network. This slow adoption rate is a stark contrast to global trends and raises questions about the pace and effectiveness of 5G deployment within the Nigerian market.
The 5G Paradox: Slow Adoption vs. Global Growth
While 5G uptake in Nigeria remains sluggish, global adoption is booming. According to the NCC data, 4G technology has firmly established itself as the leading mobile technology in Nigeria, with 44.96% of users, followed by 2G at 43.53% and 3G with 9.32%. The 5G’s 3% use is strikingly low. In comparison, a recent report by GSMA indicates that globally, the number of 5G connections surpassed 1.5 billion by the end of 2023, marking it as the fastest-growing mobile broadband technology to date. This growth trajectory is significantly faster than previous generations: 3G took 10 years to reach the same milestone, and 4G took over five years. The GSMA report further projects substantial growth for 5G in Africa, anticipating over 340 million connections across the continent, representing one-fifth of all mobile links. It also estimates that 4G and 5G combined will account for nearly two-thirds of the continent’s total connections. GSMA estimates that 5G alone will contribute $26 billion to African economies.
The slow progress in Nigeria, against this backdrop of global expansion and continental projections, suggests that the country’s specific implementation strategy and market conditions might be creating obstacles to widespread 5G adoption.
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