MTN Nigeria has attributed the rapid depletion of subscribers’ internet data bundles to high-resolution video streaming, automatic downloads, background applications and cloud backups, rejecting allegations that telecom operators deliberately deduct customers’ data.
The company said many smartphone users unknowingly consume large amounts of data through applications and device settings that continue running even when they are not actively browsing.
Speaking at a forum titled Data on Trial in Abuja on Monday, on the sidelines of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit (NES#32), Mike Ndukwe, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of Network Performance, said data consumption largely depended on users’ online activities and smartphone configurations.
“We’re not stealing your data. However, we completely understand how it feels, especially right now, where every amount counts. But the honest answer is that data is not taken without an action, either your action or your phone,” he said.
Ndukwe explained that applications such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp consume different amounts of data depending on video quality, automatic playback and download settings.
A 15-second TikTok video, he said, could consume between two and 20 megabytes, depending on its resolution, while high-definition streaming uses significantly more data than standard-definition viewing.
Although ordinary WhatsApp text messages typically use little data, status updates, videos, group conversations and automatic media downloads can quickly increase consumption.
“If your WhatsApp is set on auto-download, straight away it hits your data bundle. And that is where you can optimise some of your settings,” Ndukwe said.
He disclosed that WhatsApp had approximately 45 million users in Nigeria, while TikTok was among the platforms generating substantial data traffic.
Ndukwe also cited figures showing that data consumption had increased by approximately 43 per cent year-on-year.
He advised subscribers to disable automatic downloads, reduce video-streaming resolution, activate data-saving features and monitor their usage through the MyMTN application.
David Ogunsola, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of IT Operations, said differences between data consumption recorded on smartphones and figures measured by telecommunications networks could result from differences in measurement methods, background traffic and the timing of data sessions.
“The data that you measure on your devices is slightly different from what traverses over the network and what’s on the charge,” he said.
According to Ogunsola, measurement and rounding variations could produce differences ranging from two per cent to approximately 12 per cent in some circumstances.
He explained that network technology primarily determines how quickly users can access online services, while the activities they perform and the settings of their applications influence how much data they consume.
“The network type that you are on, whether it’s 3G or 4G, just like Mike also explained earlier, would determine not how much data you use, but how fast you’re able to do what it is that you want to do,” he said.
MTN Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, also defended the cost of providing telecommunications services, pointing to electricity and the expense of powering and maintaining network sites.
“Please understand that this country, as well as a few other African countries, we are providing power and transportation to all of our sites,” he said.
Toriola maintained that Nigerian operators deployed equipment comparable to those used in Europe and the United States but faced higher operating costs, particularly for electricity.
He said MTN was stepping up consumer education to help subscribers understand their smartphone settings and manage internet usage more effectively.
