MTN is the only GSM operator that has aggressively deployed submarine fibre optics in Nigeria, increasing by over 16,000 km in 4 years

Key takeaways

  • MTN dominates submarine fibre optic deployment among GSM operators in Nigeria, increasing its network from 1,500 km in 2018 to 17,984 km in 2022
  • Glo had the earliest and largest submarine fibre deployment, peaking at 19,200 km in 2012, but later scaled down to 9,800 km from 2014 onwards
  • Airtel has not invested in submarine fibre, with its network remaining below 25 km throughout the period
  • 9mobile has not deployed any submarine fibre cable since 2012

Submarine fibre optic deployment in Nigeria has been driven primarily by MTN and Glo, with MTN aggressively expanding its network in recent years. Glo initially led the market, but after peaking at 19,200 km in 2012, it significantly reduced its submarine fibre infrastructure to 9,800 km, where it has remained stable since 2014.
MTN, on the other hand, only started expanding in 2018 but rapidly scaled up to 17,984 km by 2022, making it the biggest recent investor in submarine fibre infrastructure. Airtel has largely stayed out of this segment, maintaining a negligible presence.

Source:

Nigerian Communications Commission

Period:

2012-2022
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