MTN Nigeria cemented its dominance in the country’s fixed broadband market, more than doubling its subscriber base between May and July 2025, according to latest data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The operator’s fixed broadband users jumped from 14,424 in May to 29,314 in July—an increase of 14,890 subscribers, representing all of the industry’s growth within that period. In contrast, the entire fixed broadband sector grew from 14,599 to 29,489 users, showing MTN alone is powering Nigeria’s expansion in the space.
The picture is bleak for rivals. 21st Century Technologies, the only other player in the market, has been stuck at just 175 subscribers since May, following a sharp decline from 2,259 in April. The stagnation leaves MTN virtually unchallenged in a sector critical to Nigeria’s digital ambitions.
MTN’s aggressive growth is underpinned by massive investment in broadband infrastructure. In Q1 2025, the company boosted capital expenditure by 159% year-on-year, deploying ₦202.4 billion ($134.5 million) to strengthen its network. By mid-year, total investment had reached ₦565.7 billion ($377 million), with nearly ₦900 billion ($562.5 million) earmarked for the full year. Much of this spend is being channelled into 4G upgrades, fibre rollout, and passive infrastructure.
On April 21, MTN rebranded its fibre broadband service as FibreX, now live in at least 14 states and aimed at underserved middle- and high-income households. The company has also struck infrastructure-sharing agreements with competitors such as Airtel Africa to extend fibre reach and improve service delivery.
Central to MTN’s expansion is its “Own-The-Home” strategy, which blends fibre deployment with 4G and 5G-based Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) to deliver reliable high-speed connectivity, even in areas where fibre deployment remains limited.
“The opportunity in the home is enormous,” MTN Group CEO Ralph Mupita said at a recent briefing in Sandton. “With the right spectral assets, we’ll scale FWA aggressively, and in some areas deploy fibre-to-the-home.”
With no meaningful competition in sight, MTN’s early and heavy investment in Nigeria’s fixed broadband market appears to be paying off, tightening its grip on a sector vital for the country’s digital economy.
Mark your calendars! Moonshot by is back in Lagos on October 15–16! Join Africa’s top founders, creatives & tech leaders for 2 days of keynotes, mixers & future-forward ideas. Early bird tickets now 20% off—don’t snooze! moonshot..com
