MTN, Airtel raise internet data plans rates by 10%

By Chisom Nwatu

Nigeria’s two biggest telecommunication companies, MTN and Airtel, have announced a 10-percent increase in the rates of their data plan services and prices.

The telecom firms announced this on their verified Twitter pages, MTN (@MTN180) and Airtel (@AirtelNigeria), although customers of the telcos started noticing the changes from around September 28, 2022.

“Y’ello. Apologies for the data price review. Please note that there has been a revamp in prices of some MTN data plans. You may visit https://mtn.ng/personal/data/data-plans/ for more information on MTN data plans. Thank you,” MTN said.

Airtel, on the other hand, in reply to a customer, apologised for the inconvenience that the rate hike may have caused, adding, “Please be informed that our bundles have been modified. Kindly note that N5000 data bundle is now N5500. Thank you.”

However, there are worries that the new rates could have a negative effect on Nigerians struggling with a high cost of living as regards the current state of the economy

Over the years, Nigerians have enjoyed one of the cheapest data rates in Africa, and this has helped boost active internet subscriptions to more than 152 million.

According to media reports, the upward revision of data plans would now jeopardize Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan 2020-2025, in which the Federal Government intends to offer cheaper internet services in the country.

Before now, telcos operating in the country had proposed an increase in data prices citing high cost of doing business amid rising inflation, forex crunch, depreciating naira, and high cost of diesel to power machine operations.

The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), in a letter to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), proposed a 40 percent increase in data prices due to a 40-percent increase in the cost of doing business.

“Given the state of the economy and the circa 40 percent increase in the cost of doing business, we wish to request for an interim administrative review of the mobile (voice) termination rate for voice; administrative data floor price, and cost of SMS as reflected in extant instruments,”  ALTON said.