Poor service, rapid data depletion heap criticisms on telcos

…MTN blames fibre cuts, vandalism, community disputes for poor  services

…Data finishes faster because smartphones are smarter, not because phones are stealing it —TECNO

By Juliet Umeh

For millions of Nigerians, poor telecom service has become more than an inconvenience. It is disrupting businesses, delaying emergency responses, frustrating financial transactions and fueling public anger over the rising cost of digital connectivity.

Across the country, subscribers are increasingly questioning why network quality continues to deteriorate despite higher tariffs and the record revenues declared by telecommunications operators.

The growing frustration has now drawn the attention of the House of Representatives, which recently blamed the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, for what lawmakers described as weak regulatory oversight and failure to enforce standards capable of compelling operators to deliver reliable services.

Lawmakers warned that poor telecom service is no longer merely a commercial issue but a national concern capable of endangering lives and property during emergencies.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Ahmadu Jaha, representing Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency of Borno State.

Leading the debate, Jaha described telecommunications as central to Nigeria’s economic and social life but lamented the widening gap between subscriber expectations and actual service delivery.

“Telecommunication has become a vital part of everyday life in Nigeria. It connects families, supports businesses, enhances education, and drives economic growth. However, despite its importance, the quality of service provided by many telecom companies remains unsatisfactory,” he said.

According to him, dropped calls, failed message delivery and slow internet speeds have become recurring indicators of systemic failure.

“The House is concerned that poor network connectivity is a major issue. Subscribers frequently experience dropped calls, slow internet speeds, and difficulty sending messages. This affects both personal communication and business operations, leading to frustration and financial losses,” he added.

Jaha also criticised the disconnect between rising telecom costs and service quality.

“The high cost of data and call tariffs does not match the quality of service delivered. Nigerians often pay significant amounts for data bundles that are quickly exhausted due to unstable connections and network interruptions,” he stated.

Supporting the motion, Deputy Minority Whip, George Ozodinobi, accused telecom operators of prioritising profits over network improvement while faulting the NCC for regulatory complacency.

“It is like these companies have made enough profits in billions, and so, they don’t care about improving the network anymore. The NCC, the regulator, has become complacent,” he said.

Growth outpacing infrastructure

Nigeria’s telecom sector has grown from fewer than one million connected lines in 2001 to over 185 million active subscriptions, becoming a key pillar of the digital economy.

However, infrastructure development has struggled to keep pace with subscriber growth and rising data demand.

Industry stakeholders point to inadequate base stations, unreliable electricity supply, vandalism, insecurity and weak fibre infrastructure as major factors undermining service quality.

Telecommunications expert and Chief Executive Officer of Broadbased Communications Limited, Chidi Ibisi, said fibre cuts remain one of the biggest causes of network instability.

“The thing about the network issues is basically mostly a function of a lot of fibre cuts,” he said.

According to him, road construction companies, vandals and utility providers frequently damage underground fibre cables, disrupting transmission capacity and internet stability.

He added that rising internet consumption has placed enormous pressure on existing infrastructure, particularly outside major cities.

“When you go to places like Umuahia, you can hardly get internet,” he noted.

Ibisi, however, expressed optimism that the Federal Government’s Project BRIDGE initiative could reduce wholesale internet costs and improve broadband penetration nationwide.

Similarly, Chief Executive Officer of Open Access Data Centres, Obinna Adumike, argued that sustainable telecom growth depends on government support and investment-friendly policies.

“The most important thing is that the government and the minister are able to give the private sector the enabling support to actually grow,” he said.

Subscribers demand accountability

For consumers, however, infrastructure challenges are no longer sufficient explanations.

President of the National Association of Telecom Subscribers, NATCOMS, Adebola Ogunbanjo, described the current quality of service as the worst experienced in decades.

According to him, network performance has continued to deteriorate despite the recent tariff increase approved by the NCC.

“It wasn’t this bad in 2007,” Ogunbanjo said, recalling periods when regulators compelled operators to compensate subscribers for poor service delivery.

He argued that telecom companies should reinvest profits into improving network quality.

“Whatever they make in terms of gains and profits, they should now plough it back to ensure good quality service,” he stated.

While acknowledging the impact of insecurity and attacks on telecom infrastructure, he insisted that operators must do more to improve reliability and called for a compensation framework for subscribers affected by poor service.

MTN explains service disruptions

Responding to mounting criticism, MTN Nigeria has identified fibre cuts, vandalism, power challenges, community disputes and network congestion as major factors responsible for service disruptions.

Speaking during a media engagement, MTN’s Chief Technical Officer, Yahaya Ibrahim, explained that delivering mobile connectivity involves a complex chain of infrastructure stretching from telecom towers to fibre networks and core switching centres.

“From the time a customer switches on a phone, the device searches for the nearest and strongest base station. The connection moves through transmission systems into the core network and eventually to the internet. There are many layers and components working together to make a simple click possible,” he explained.

According to him, network congestion remains one of the biggest causes of service degradation.

“If a site becomes congested because it is carrying excessive traffic, customers will naturally experience slower speeds and degraded service. In such situations, we must upgrade the capacity of the affected site,” he said.

The operator disclosed that fibre cuts have become a daily occurrence, with between 35 and 40 incidents recorded every day due to road construction activities, vandalism and sabotage.

Ibrahim cited a recent incident around the VGC axis of Lagos where vandals allegedly set fire to a fibre tunnel, disrupting services for subscribers.

MTN also revealed that telecom infrastructure remains a frequent target of theft and vandalism.

According to the company, 452 incidents of site vandalism were recorded in 2025 alone, involving stolen or damaged generators, batteries, solar equipment and other critical infrastructure.

The operator further highlighted community disputes and access restrictions as another major challenge.

“If a community locks a telecom site and our teams cannot access it to refuel generators or carry out maintenance, entire areas can lose service. Sometimes one site supports several others, meaning the impact extends far beyond a single location,” Ibrahim explained.

Despite the challenges, MTN insists it continuously monitors network performance and responds rapidly to faults.

“We monitor our network every minute of every day. Once there is a fault, an alarm is generated, and our engineers immediately begin the process of resolving it,” he said.

Why data finishes faster

Beyond complaints about network quality, another issue frequently raised by subscribers is the rapid depletion of mobile data.

Many Nigerians believe telecom operators or smartphone manufacturers are responsible for excessive data consumption.

However, smartphone manufacturer TECNO said the reality is more complex.

Speaking during a recent MTN campaign, the OEM’s Senior AI User Researcher, Muhammad Aliyu, argued that modern smartphones consume more data because they deliver richer digital experiences than older devices.

“Whenever we conduct research, Nigerians tell us they want bigger screens, clearer pictures and sharper videos. People want to see every detail in their photos and enjoy crystal-clear video experiences. We listened and provided solutions to meet those expectations,” he said.

According to Aliyu, modern smartphones constantly perform background tasks such as app updates, cloud backups, security checks, software upgrades and push notifications.

“One of the common complaints we hear is, ‘Why is my data finishing without me using it?’ The reality is that many background activities happen once a device is connected to the internet.

“When your phone is online, it automatically tries to improve your experience. It updates apps, backs up your photos, sends notifications and performs security checks. These activities consume data even when you are not actively browsing,” he explained.

Aliyu also noted that today’s smartphones feature Full HD, 2K and 4K displays that require significantly more data to deliver high-quality images and videos.

“Social media consumption today is very different from what it was a few years ago. The pictures and videos you see on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms are now much higher in quality because phones have higher resolutions,” he said.

He stressed that rapid data depletion should not automatically be interpreted as data theft.

“The better the display, the more data is needed to deliver the quality users expect.”

To help users manage consumption, TECNO recommends restricting background app activities, disabling unnecessary cloud backups and managing automatic updates.

Government says excuses must end

Amid growing public dissatisfaction, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy has acknowledged the sector’s infrastructure challenges but insists operators must now begin to deliver measurable improvements.

Central to the government’s strategy is Project BRIDGE, a World Bank-backed initiative designed to deploy nationwide open-access fibre infrastructure, alongside additional tower deployments and expanded satellite connectivity.

According to the ministry, these investments are expected to close major infrastructure gaps over the next two to five years.

“A small business owner should be able to access reliable, high-speed fibre internet directly at their home or shop, not rely solely on dongles or unstable mobile connections. That is the level of meaningful connectivity we are building towards,” the ministry stated.

For millions of Nigerians struggling with failed calls, unstable internet connections and disappearing data bundles, explanations alone are no longer enough.

Subscribers want visible improvements. Whether through stronger regulation, accelerated infrastructure investment or better network management, the coming months may determine whether Nigeria’s telecom sector finally delivers the quality of service promised by the country’s digital economy ambitions.

The post Poor service, rapid data depletion heap criticisms on telcos appeared first on Vanguard News.