Fifth-generation (5G) network penetration in Nigeria has witnessed sluggish growth since the issuance of licences to three network service providers in 2021 and 2022.
The industry’s report released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) revealed that 5G penetration grew from 0.12 per cent in May, 2023, to 1.11 per cent in January, 2024.
The network coverage which had seen massive investment by telecom operators closed the year 2023 with an adoption rate of 1.04 per cent in December. But the growth was sluggish in January, at 1.11 per cent.
In December, 2021, MTN Nigeria and Mafab Nigeria Communications Limited emerged winners of a 5G auction after about eight hours and 11 rounds of bidding.
A year later, Airtel emerged as the sole winner of the second phase of the 5G auction. MTN deployed its 5G in Lagos and six other cities in August, 2022.
In 2023, Airtel deployed 5G…
