NCC Expands ISP Market With Six New Licenses, Signals Push for Broadband Diversification
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has strengthened the country’s broadband ecosystem with the licensing of six new Internet Service Providers (ISPs), raising the total number of authorised operators from 224 in December 2025 to 231.
Each of the new entrants has been granted a five-year licence, effective January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2030, according to updated regulatory data.
The latest approvals underscore the regulator’s strategy to deepen competition and expand connectivity options in Nigeria’s fast-growing digital economy. Five of the newly licensed firms are headquartered in Lagos, the country’s commercial hub, while Abuja and Imo State accounted for one each.
The new operators include Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited, Boost ISP, Dasol Solutions Services, Fibre Sonic, Intellivision Technologies, Wetom Technologies, and Granet Technologies, a lineup that reinforces the dominance of Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory in Nigeria’s broadband landscape.
Nigeria’s internet market continues to show robust growth. As of November 2025, the country recorded 144.7 million internet subscribers, with monthly data consumption hitting a record 1.236 million terabytes. Yet despite this surge, fixed broadband penetration remains limited.
The ISP segment, dominated by players such as Spectranet, Starlink, FibreOne, Tizeti, and ipNX, collectively serves only a fraction of users. By Q2 2025, the top three ISPs accounted for about 65 per cent of the roughly 314,000 active ISP subscribers nationwide, a figure dwarfed by mobile broadband, where MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile control 99.5 per cent of all internet subscriptions.
Against this backdrop, the NCC’s licensing drive reflects a deliberate bet on diversifying Nigeria’s connectivity options. The inclusion of satellite providers such as Amazon’s Project Kuiper signals a long-term push to bridge infrastructure gaps, improve service reliability, and expand access to underserved regions.
For consumers, the entry of new ISPs raises expectations around pricing, service quality, and competition, while for investors, it highlights the regulator’s commitment to opening up Nigeria’s broadband market beyond the dominance of mobile operators.
The expansion of ISP licensing is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s digital future, as demand for faster, more reliable, and more affordable internet continues to accelerate across households, businesses, and public institutions.
