Mobile internet service providers in Nigeria have started increasing the prices of their data plans, reflecting a general rise in the cost of living in the country that has affected most things from airline ticket prices to bread.
MTN and Airtel, two of the four main telcos, have revised some of their internet data prices upwards by at least 10 per cent. Customers started noticing the changes from around September 28, 2022.
MTN confirmed the price increases, saying “products and services can be reviewed from time to time by the management.” Airtel also said their prices have gone up.
The increase was announced by MTN (@MTN180) and Airtel (@AirtelNigeria) on their verified Twitter pages on Saturday evening.
The recent 10 percent hike is still less than the 40 percent increase in the cost of calls, SMS, and data initially proposed by telecommunication companies under the aegis of the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria.
In a letter to the Nigerian Communications Commission, the telecom companies had said that there had been a 40 percent increase in the cost of doing business in the nation, which necessitated the proposed increase in services.
The letter read, “Given the state of the economy and the circa 40 per cent 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.”
The Alliance for Affordable Internet’s (A4AI) ranking places Nigeria among the countries with relatively affordable internet, with 1GB of mobile data costing 1.66 percent of monthly income. The benchmark is for 1GB to not exceed 2 percent.
In September, MTN switched on its 5G capability in Nigeria, becoming one of the first to do so across Africa.
But with inflation at a 17-year high of 20.5 percent and the naira spiraling downwards against the dollar in the parallel market, Nigeria has proven to be a tough place for businesses in 2022.
This has included telcos whose services across the country require the round-the-clock operation of generators at base stations in the absence of dependable electricity.
