Elon Musk’s company, Starlink, became Nigeria’s third largest Internet Service Provider (ISP) by subscriber count in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023. This information comes from the latest data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
According to the NCC, Starlink’s active subscribers in Nigeria grew to 23,897 in Q4 2024, making it a top ISP in the country. This is a significant jump from 11,207 subscribers in Q3 2023, marking a 113% increase quarter-on-quarter.
Despite Starlink’s rapid growth, Spectranet and FiberOne remain the leading ISPs. Spectranet had 113,869 active customers, maintaining the top position, while FiberOne had 27,000 active users by the end of 2023.
NCC’s data shows that Nigeria had 245 licensed ISPs by the end of 2023, but only 106 had active customers in Q4 2023. These 106 ISPs together had 262,206 active customers, which is still low compared to the 163.8 million internet subscriptions from the four major mobile network operators—MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile.
As of this year, NCC has licensed seven more ISPs, bringing the total to 252. Despite its higher costs compared to local ISPs, Starlink, which began operations in Nigeria in January 2023, has generated significant interest. Its satellite service is especially appealing in areas with poor internet coverage. Many local ISPs that have operated in Nigeria for years have fewer customers than Starlink gained in one year.
In April 2024, Starlink reduced the price of its router by 45% to attract more customers. The router price dropped from N800,000 to N440,000, although the monthly subscription fee remains N38,000.
Starlink started accepting pre-orders from Nigerians in 2022, even though it officially launched in January 2023. Initially, the prices were quoted in dollars—$600 for the hardware and $43 for the subscription—before switching to naira.
