The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved six new Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to operate in Nigeria; a move aimed at increasing competition in the country’s broadband market.
The new licences, effective from January 1, 2026, bring the total number of licensed ISPs in Nigeria to 231, up from 225 in December 2025. This growth comes even as the sector faces various challenges, including a decline in customer numbers and higher market concentration.
The newly approved companies are Intellvision Technologies Limited, Granet Technologies Limited, Fiber Sonic Limited, Dasol Solution Services Ltd, Boost ISP Limited, and Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited. Five of the six are based in Lagos, while Amazon Kuiper operates from Owerri in Imo State. This shows that most broadband infrastructure is still concentrated in major cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, largely because of deployment costs and customer demand.
The approvals come at a challenging time for traditional ISPs, many of which struggle to compete with cheaper mobile data plans from MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile, as well as satellite broadband services like Starlink. Industry experts warn that smaller ISPs may need regulatory support to survive in a market dominated by larger players.
Commenting on the development, Mr Chidi Ibisi, Executive Director of Business Development at Broadbased Communications Ltd, said smaller ISPs are not trying to outcompete big operators but want a fair framework to coexist. He added that dominant providers could push smaller ISPs out of the market due to their larger capital and wider coverage. On his part, Kehinde Joda, Head of Regulatory and Public Relations at FibreOne, said many ISPs still rely on basic internet access without offering unique services or value-added products. He also noted that building fibre networks remains expensive.
However, satellite broadband is changing the competition landscape. Starlink, which entered Nigeria in 2023, has quickly grown to become the second-largest ISP by customer numbers, drawing subscribers away from local providers. Amazon Kuiper’s entry introduces another global player in the low-earth-orbit satellite broadband space, signalling more choices for Nigerian consumers and wider coverage in underserved areas.
According to NCC data for the second quarter of 2025, the ISP market remains concentrated. Spectranet, Starlink, and FibreOne together held about 65% of active ISP customers, with 203,000 out of 313,713 connections nationwide. With the new licences and the expansion of satellite operators, Nigeria’s broadband market is poised for greater competition and improved access for more people across the country.
