The country’s mobile telephone subscriber base has continued to record strong growth with the number of active mobile telephone lines hitting 105.2 million in August, the latest subscriber data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission has revealed.

The data, which was released on Thursday, revealed that mobile network operators in the country added over 1.8 million new lines in August alone thereby, increasing the subscriber base from 103.4 million active telephone lines in July to over 105.2 million at the end of August 2012.

Industry analysts said the promotions currently being run by Global System of Mobile telecommunications operators in the country might have been responsible for the huge subscriber growth in August.

While the total connected lines increase to 141.2 million in the month, the NCC data showed that GSM companies such as MTN, Globacom, Airtel and Etisalat attracted most of the new subscriptions between January and August, while the Code Division Multiple Access operators such as Visafone, Multi-Links, Starcomms and ZoomMobile continued to witness month-on-month decline in combined subscriber base.

[b]According to the NCC data, while active mobile subscriptions on the GSM networks increased from 91 million in January to 101.4 million at the end of August; the CDMA operators’ subscriber base shrank from 4.4 million to 3.3 million during the eight-month period.

The GSM active subscriptions, which stood at 91 million in January, 2012, increased to 92 million in February and 94.5 million at the end of March. The subscriptions continued the upward growth trend, reaching 96.6 million in April and 97.5 million in May.

In June, July and August, the combined active GSM subscriber base increased to 98.3 million; 99.4 million and 101.4 million respectively.

However, the active subscriber base on CDMA networks continued to decline from 4,031,820 lines in February to 3,904,846 in April. It further plunged to 3,718,153 in May; 3,541,355 in June; and fell in July to 3,452,368 and finally to 3,347,716 at the end of August 2012.

The number of fixed lines, which stood at 688,333 as at January, declined to 488,088 at the end of August 2012.[/b]

While the Nigerian telecoms industry continues to experience huge growth year-in-year, it has once again defied industry forecast, with the giant leap it recorded in growth in August.

The former Executive Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Mr. Ernest Ndukwe, had recently predicted that the country’s mobile subscriber base would hit 105 million in December 2012.

However, the latest NCC data revealed that the target was achieved much earlier, as active subscriptions had crossed the 105 million projections, reaching over 105.2 million at end of August, 2012.

Experts said though it was good that the country’s mobile subscriber base had crossed the 105 million mark, the implication was that it would put pressure on the mobile networks if the operators did not increase their network capacities.

It will be recalled that the NCC had recently fined the four GSM companies in the country to the tune of N1.17bn for poor quality of service on their networks.

With increased subscriber base, analysts, urged the operators to match this with more investments in network expansion.

puskin: This is just a typical example that what works in other countries just doesn't work in naija. In US and most European countries......CDMA is more popular than GSM, but here, the reverse is the case or could it be that the Interconnect tariffs still doesn't favor them.

Anyways.......like you said........let's wait and see if they will die.............afterall, they are hugging transformer now.

True but me dey look the figures

101.4 million active GSM lines? That's about 70% of our population. Still, I can't help but wonder how many of these active lines are owned by people with more than one phone. If number portability was in effect, the figures wouldn't be that high.

I now know why the GSM Networks can afford to give away $1m, brand new Airplanes and such gifts in their promos

Vodacom go everly dey regret sey dem pull out of that Econet deal.

Billyonaire: So in essence, The Telcos are ripping us off, cos despite high subscription there is no tariff reduction.

Guy, e easy to give away $1m and Brand New Aeroplane?

semid4lyfe:

Guy, e easy to give away $1m and Brand New Aeroplane?

Billyonaire: That's one of the most foolish scam every ran by a corporate organization. And you know how much they say the Plane is worth in case you dont want the plane but cash ? 25m Naira! MTN is sick!

puskin:

"MTN dey make that money in like 12hours"......make nobody quote me ooh.

KINGwax: Relax peeps, i biliv things will take shape. It's a gradual process yo

luluosas: With this GSM growth as published by NCC, which is not commensurate with the quality of service being offered by these GSM providers, it shows we the subscribers have a long way to go.
But come oh, is NCC taking these new connected lines to mean one line per one new GSM subscriber? I laugh in Edo language!
Nigerians, don't be deceived. These new connected lines are just recycling among the existing users, who are buying more network Sim cards, to avoid being trapped in a tight corner, by reason of the POOR services these rapers of our 'collective wealth' are providing.
Number portability will address these nonsense by the time it will come into effect.
Although I have not traveled out of Nigeria before but, I just want to ask: Does the American people uses more than one network at a time? Do they do have SPRINT, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verison and other network providers Sim cards as we Nigerians do?
Imagine me having 4 Glo, 1 MTN, 1 Etisalat and 1 Airtel lines at the same time. Reasons - BAD POOR SERVICE.

mkmyers45: Much more than..they make like 5bn a weekend...FACT

semid4lyfe:

Guy, e easy to give away $1m and Brand New Aeroplane?

luluosas: With this GSM growth as published by NCC, which is not commensurate with the quality of service being offered by these GSM providers, it shows we the subscribers have a long way to go.
But come oh, is NCC taking these new connected lines to mean one line per one new GSM subscriber? I laugh in Edo language!
Nigerians, don't be deceived. These new connected lines are just recycling among the existing users, who are buying more network Sim cards, to avoid being trapped in a tight corner, by reason of the POOR services these rapers of our 'collective wealth' are providing.
Number portability will address these nonsense by the time it will come into effect.
Although I have not traveled out of Nigeria before but, I just want to ask: Does the American people uses more than one network at a time? Do they do have SPRINT, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verison and other network providers Sim cards as we Nigerians do?
Imagine me having 4 Glo, 1 MTN, 1 Etisalat and 1 Airtel lines at the same time. Reasons - BAD POOR SERVICE.

luluosas: With this GSM growth as published by NCC, which is not commensurate with the quality of service being offered by these GSM providers, it shows we the subscribers have a long way to go.
But come oh, is NCC taking these new connected lines to mean one line per one new GSM subscriber? I laugh in Edo language!
Nigerians, don't be deceived. These new connected lines are just recycling among the existing users, who are buying more network Sim cards, to avoid being trapped in a tight corner, by reason of the POOR services these rapers of our 'collective wealth' are providing.
Number portability will address these nonsense by the time it will come into effect.
Although I have not traveled out of Nigeria before but, I just want to ask: Does the American people uses more than one network at a time? Do they do have SPRINT, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verison and other network providers Sim cards as we Nigerians do?
Imagine me having 4 Glo, 1 MTN, 1 Etisalat and 1 Airtel lines at the same time. Reasons - BAD POOR SERVICE.

luluosas: With this GSM growth as published by NCC, which is not commensurate with the quality of service being offered by these GSM providers, it shows we the subscribers have a long way to go.
But come oh, is NCC taking these new connected lines to mean one line per one new GSM subscriber? I laugh in Edo language!
Nigerians, don't be deceived. These new connected lines are just recycling among the existing users, who are buying more network Sim cards, to avoid being trapped in a tight corner, by reason of the POOR services these rapers of our 'collective wealth' are providing.
Number portability will address these nonsense by the time it will come into effect.
Although I have not traveled out of Nigeria before but, I just want to ask: Does the American people uses more than one network at a time? Do they do have SPRINT, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verison and other network providers Sim cards as we Nigerians do?
Imagine me having 4 Glo, 1 MTN, 1 Etisalat and 1 Airtel lines at the same time. Reasons - BAD POOR SERVICE.

solbil: you are wrong! The network is good. We have more lines becos of call rates from one provider to the other.

thelastPope: Nigeria's problem is cultural. We have our brains all messed up and our priorities all mixed up. It isn't the fault of the networks. We just have a messed up mind set that allows anyone with little effort to take advantage of us. And the irony is that we think we are actually being smart!

Half of all calls we make in Naija are unnecessary ego trips. With BB, my calls have reduced by over 80%. Except for occassional business stuff that requires clarification via voice calls and some families chats, every other communication is through the Internet and BBM. The sad part is that it is the so called poor and middle class that waste these monies on calls because they want to prove they have money.

Cyberknight:

"Waste money on calls to prove they have money?". How does that make sense logically? If someone rings you up to say hello or talk for a few minutes to keep in touch and maintain a relationship with someone else, is that now dismissed and yabbed as "proving they have money"? By analogy, if one were to get into his car and drive over to visit a friend, then obviously this is not a necessary social and bonding exercise, it is a waste of money, abi?

In addition, how many people have interent access or can afford BBs? As opposed to 5k techno phones or something secondhand for 2 or 3k, and a sim card for 100 naira, and recharge cards that are as low as 100 naira too? Making telephone calls CANNOT be a way of proving some sort of status, because it is really no longer an issue, as it was when accessible moblie phone technology first came here in 2001.

alajor: Not really, I live here in south africa and there r people that's use two lines but most of them r nigerians,me included. Most households in south africa have land lines and there r very cheap call centres almost in every street here in the cities. I must say that the promotions here by mtn,vodacom,cellc r always good,they give u discounts always, they r trying to beat competition with cheaper rates. And the only reason why I have a second line is because its very cheap when u use it to call 9ja not because[b]I dey form big boy as is the case wit most nigerians at home[/b].