MTN sees decline in web subscription over NIN-SIM compliance

MTN Nigeria’s web subscribers dropped in January attributable to efforts to adjust to the Nigerian Communications Fee’s (NCC) mandate to link all SIM cards with a Nationwide Id Quantity (NIN). 

MTN, the biggest telecom operator within the nation, noticed over 2.8 million subscribers drop from its web enterprise leaving 67.8 million subscribers in January from 70.6 million subscribers in December. The decline was essentially the most MTN Nigeria has seen since Might 2023. 

The drop, nevertheless, didn’t have an effect on Airtel and Globacom as each telcos gained subscribers in the identical month, based on the latest data from the regulator. Airtel gained essentially the most subscribers in January with 890,935 subscribers becoming a member of the community and serving to to solidify its place because the second-largest web service supplier with 45.9 million subscribers. Globacom additionally gained 192,313 subscribers in January. 

Subscriber positive aspects from Airtel and Globacom helped to scale back the influence of MTN’s subscriber decline on the business. Airtel grew its subscriber base from 45.0 million subscribers to 45.9 million subscribers. Globacom additionally grew its subscriber base from 43.9 million subscribers to 44.1 million subscribers. 

In December 2023, the NCC directed all the telecom operators within the nation to deregister all telephone traces with no NIN and people with unverified NINs. A spokesperson for MTN Nigeria instructed TechCabal that the operator began compliance nearly instantly after the directive was issued. The corporate additionally made a number of advertorials concerning the directive which led many subscribers to take steps to replace or register their NIN.

The deadline was purported to have expired on March 29, 2024, nevertheless, the NCC has now prolonged the deadline for the disconnection of unlinked traces to July 31, 2024, per TheCable. 

The telecom operator has had a historical past of fines with the NCC which it’s nonetheless making an attempt to place behind it. In 2015, the corporate was fined $5.2 billion for failing to disconnect prospects with unregistered SIM playing cards. 

MTN Nigeria’s subscription decline dented the general business web figures in January. In response to the NCC, the overall variety of subscribers that dropped off throughout all networks was 1.84 million leaving operators with 161.5 million subscribers from 163.3 million in December 2023. Other than MTN Nigeria, 9Mobile continued its almost nine-year decline with 94,824 subscribers leaving the community in January. 9Mobile now has 3.53 million subscribers.