After years of shrinking numbers, T2 Mobile, the telco that rebranded from 9mobile, has recorded its first full quarter of consecutive internet subscriber growth. The increase is modest, with just over 9,000 users added in December 2025, but in a market where the operator had been steadily losing ground, the direction matters.
Why this is different: The growth comes after a rough post-rebrand dip in August and September, where T2’s internet subscriber base fell sharply to 744,044 (its first time below the one-million mark). However, since October, subscriber numbers have risen month after month, pointing to stabilisation.
What’s driving the uptick? Two things stand out. One is T2’s national roaming deal with MTN Nigeria, which aimed to improve coverage in weak areas without forcing customers to port SIMs, and the telecom operator’s recent network upgrades and spectrum use have improved speeds.
Can T2 win back ground from MTN or Airtel? Not immediately. Airtel Nigeria and MTN still dominate the telecoms market in terms of scale and market share. But T2 may not necessarily need to win the market to survive. It ranked first in rural download speeds at about 24.9 Mbps and second nationally for overall user experience. If it keeps stabilising, T2 can create its own niche in serving users underserved by the big players.
