Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture, Starlink, has ascended to the position of Nigeria’s second-largest Internet Service Provider (ISP) by subscriber count as of the third quarter of 2024. This milestone comes less than two years after Starlink commenced operations in the country in January 2023.
According to the latest data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Starlink’s active customer base in Nigeria reached 65,564 by the end of Q3 2024. This surge in subscribers propelled Starlink past FiberOne, which previously held the second spot but saw its active customers decline to 33,010 in the same period. Despite this growth, Spectranet maintained its lead in the market with 105,441 active customers, though it experienced a loss of over 8,000 subscribers compared to its 113,869 customers in December 2023.
Starlink’s rapid expansion in Nigeria is notable, considering that by the end of 2023, it had 23,897 active subscribers, positioning it as the third-largest ISP at that time. The company’s growth trajectory indicates an addition of 41,667 subscribers in the first nine months of 2024.
The NCC’s report also highlighted that, as of Q3 2024, there were 241 licensed ISPs in Nigeria, with 124 of them having active customers. Collectively, these ISPs served 307,946 active customers, a modest figure compared to the 132.4 million active internet subscriptions reported by Nigeria’s four major mobile network operators—MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile—as of September 2024.
Starlink’s appeal in the Nigerian market can be attributed to its ability to provide high-speed internet access, especially in remote and underserved areas where traditional broadband services are limited or nonexistent. Despite its higher costs relative to local ISPs, the demand for reliable internet connectivity has driven significant interest and adoption among Nigerians.
As Starlink continues its expansion, its impact on Nigeria’s internet landscape underscores a growing shift towards satellite-based solutions to bridge connectivity gaps, particularly in regions where infrastructure challenges persist.
