Barometer of mobile Internet connections in Nigeria

nPerf Speed Test – Press release 20/03/2024

01/01/2023 – 31/12/2023

The subscribers of MTN enjoyed the best mobile Internet performances in Nigeria during 2023.

The nPerf Score takes into account the measured speeds, the latency and the QoE tests (streaming and browsing).

For this analysis of Internet connections in Nigeria, 41,335 tests carried out by Nigerians with the free nPerf Speed Test app, available on Android and iOS, have been taken into account.

MTN: The market leader

In our comprehensive analysis spanning from January 1st to December 31st, 2023, MTN (14 Mb/s) has been identified as providing the fastest mobile download speeds in Nigeria.

_{Download speed: Indicates the amount of data your connection can receive in one second from the nPerf server. The highest the measured value, the best is the speed of your connection.}

_{Good Speed: Speeds ranging from 10 Mb/s to 25 Mb/s are sufficient for HD streaming, video chats, and cloud uploads.}

International Comparison: Nigeria’s average mobile download speed (11 Mb/s) has surpassed the one in countries such as Guinea Bissau (10 Mb/s), Cameroon (8 Mb/s) or Guinea Conakry (6 Mb/s) in 2023.

The subscribers of MTN enjoyed the best average mobile Internet latency (128 ms) in 2023.

_{The latency describes how responsive your connection is. Lower latency translates to more immediate interaction with content. Latency is measured in milliseconds (ms).}

_{Fair Latency: Above 101 ms, users may experience challenges with real-time online interactions.}

Streaming test: MTN (72%) provided the best streaming mobile video experience in Nigeria. The goal of the streaming test is to measure the quality of video viewing on the most popular streaming platform around the world: YouTube.

_{Good Streaming: Scores between 50% and 75% are adequate for YouTube streaming.}

The nPerf test evaluates YouTube streaming quality by conducting assessments at three different resolutions: 360p (Standard Definition), 720p (High Definition), and 1080p (Full High Definition). The overall rating is derived from an average of these three tests, ensuring a comprehensive measure of streaming performance across varying levels of video quality.

Browsing test: MTN (39%, equivalent to an average page load time of 6.1 seconds) emerged as the leading providers for web browsing.

Airtel: The major competitor

Airtel has offered robust download speeds of 11 Mb/s and upload speeds of 4 Mb/s. Its latency stands at 133 ms, and the network performs well in web browsing and YouTube streaming, with success rates of 36% and 70% respectively. Airtel’s strong performance indicators demonstrate its commitment to providing reliable and fast Internet services.

Glo: The potential network

Glo has download speeds of 5 Mb/s and upload speeds of 2 Mb/s. It has a latency of 138 ms, which is competitive in the market. However, Glo’s web browsing and YouTube streaming rates of 28% and 61%, respectively, indicate areas for improvement. Glo remains a crucial player in the Nigerian telecommunications market, with growth potential and improved service delivery.

Conclusion

In Nigeria, MTN and Airtel lead the telecommunications sector, showing strong performance across the board. Glo, although lagging behind, play an important role in providing vital telecommunications services to the Nigerian population.

For these operators, continued investments in network infrastructure, technology upgrades and customer-centric services will be key to improving their market position. Competition not only drives improvement in telecommunications services but also fosters innovation, leading to better connectivity and digital services for consumers in Nigeria.

This study, conducted by nPerf, a French company with over a decade of experience in measuring Internet connections, is based on user-generated data from the nPerf mobile app. The app, available on iOS and Android, utilizes a global network of dedicated servers to accurately measure Internet connection speeds.

The nPerf study is based on thousands of tests carried out exclusively by the operators’ end-customers, making it one of the largest “crowdsourced” studies in the country. These tests reflect the real experience of the general public in Nigeria on the various Internet networks.

You can also take a look at the 3G/4G/5G mobile coverage maps in Nigeria, made thanks to the measurements of Nigerian users of the nPerf app, here.