By Chiagoziem Abosi
Nigeria’s broadband scene just got more crowded and more competitive. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved six new Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to operate in the country, effective January 1, 2026. That brings the total number of licensed ISPs to 231 up from 225 in December 2025.
The freshly licensed companies are:
- Intellvision Technologies Limited
- Granet Technologies Limited
- Fiber Sonic Limited
- Dasol Solution Services Ltd
- Boost ISP Limited
- Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited
Five of these new players are based in Lagos, showing once again that the commercial capital remains the heart of Nigeria’s broadband infrastructure. The only outlier is Granet Technologies, which operates from Owerri, Imo State.
What This Means for Internet in Nigeria
🔹 More competition but a tough market: Broadband operators are entering at a time when the market is tough. Large mobile network operators like MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile offer cheap mobile data, while satellite services such as Starlink have been drawing users with fast speeds.
🔹 Satellite internet stepping up: The inclusion of Amazon Kuiper Nigeria, part of Amazon’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet initiative signals growing global interest in Nigeria’s broadband sector. This puts Amazon in direct competition with Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has already been expanding its footprint here.
🔹 Challenge for smaller ISPs: Industry voices say smaller ISPs struggle to grow amid rising competition and high infrastructure costs. Many depend on traditional fiber networks, which are expensive to build and maintain, especially outside big cities.
Why It Matters
Nigeria had around 144.7 million internet subscribers as of late 2025, with monthly data usage hitting record levels. Despite that, most people still rely on mobile broadband rather than fixed internet plans from ISPs.
So, while new ISP licences don’t automatically mean cheaper or faster internet for everyone right now, they could help broaden choice, improve service quality, and push providers both local and global to up their game.
What do YOU think? Will more ISPs mean better internet prices and quality in Nigeria or will mobile and big satellite players still rule the market? Drop your thoughts below!
