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Telecoms service firms generate N546.1b in 2020

By Adeyemi Adepetun
04 August 2021   |   3:56 am
Telecommunications operators other than GSM, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), fixed players generated N546.1 billion in 2020 as against N449.1 earned in 2019.

Telecom mast

Telecommunications operators other than GSM, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), fixed players generated N546.1 billion in 2020 as against N449.1 earned in 2019.
   
According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in the 2020 Subscriber/Network Data Report, which disclosed this, these operators saw 2.2 per cent increase in their operating cost for the year. The operating cost, which was N319.9 billion in 2019, went up to N327 billion a year after.
   
NCC said the increase in operating cost may be a consequence of the exchange rate effects in the industry.    
   
Findings showed that these operators include clearing house, tower companies, infrastructure providers, enterprise companies, among others.
   


In terms of domestic investment (CAPEX) for year 2020, the report said the figure increased from N161.8 in 2019 to N273.3 billion, a year after. In the year under review, the total staff strength of other operators’ category stood at 4,797.
    
MEANWHILE, as at 2020, the total number of Internet users that connected through ISPs, in the six geopolitical zones was 294,257, a 14.5 per cent increase from the 257,085 recorded a year earlier. South West had the highest number of Internet users with 223,036 users, indicating 76 per cent of the total subscriptions. North Central had 18 per cent with 52,505 users; South-South had six per cent with 16,652 users; North West had 0.3 per cent with 866 users; North-East had 0.22 per cent with 667 users, and South East had 0.05 per cent, which was the least of all the regions with 166 users.
   
FURTHER, the report showed that as of December, 2020 the total Base Stations owned by
Mobile telecoms operating companies increased to 36,998 from 34,033 in 2019 across all states of the Federation representing an increase of 8.7 per cent from the previous year.
  
In terms of infrastructure deployment in the mobile segment, which includes all authorised operating telecommunications networks designed, deployed to provide and operate telecoms network infrastructure as contained in their respective license document within the country.
   

As of 2020, the total on land fibre deployment was 43,898.8km as against 43,898.10 km in 2019. The on-land fibre deployment was reported as follows; MTN, 14,612km; Glo, 13,306km; Airtel, 11,151km; EMTS, 4,650km and NTEL – 180km.
   
With the Commission`s engagement of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) led by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami and the EVC of the Commission, Prof. Umaru Danbatta, most governors have signed harmonised ROW charges of N145.00 per linear meter into law hence, the fibre outlay in Nigeria is expected to increase by the end of 2021.   
   
The report also showed that in the period under review, the total submarine fibre deployment in kilometers was 25,128.3km as against 24,729.3km in 2019. This was an increase of 1.36 per cent within the year under consideration. The fibre deployment by four mobile operators are as follows: – MTN-15,244km; Glo- 9,800km; Airtel –14km, and  NTEL – 70km.  

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