The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a strong warning to telecom operators, directing them to urgently improve service quality or face regulatory sanctions.
The warning follows persistent complaints from subscribers over poor and unstable network services, especially during the festive period. To underscore its position, the NCC released a data-driven network performance report developed in partnership with Ookla, a global network intelligence firm.
The report reveals widening performance gaps among operators. MTN emerged with the strongest national performance, delivering consistently high download and upload speeds alongside stable latency and jitter levels.
Airtel recorded a slight performance dip as the industry transitions towards 5G, with latency identified as a key area for improvement. However, the operator maintained competitive 4G download speeds in urban areas.
Globacom was flagged for high latency and jitter, which negatively affect real-time services such as video calls and online payments, resulting in poor user experience. Meanwhile, 9mobile (T2) showed inconsistent performance across regions, with isolated speed peaks but poor overall national quality of service.
The NCC cautioned underperforming operators to prioritise investment in network stability, particularly in reducing latency and jitter, to meet growing consumer demand for reliable connectivity.
According to the commission, the quarterly Ookla-backed report reflects its shift to data-driven regulation aimed at transparency, accountability, and improved consumer outcomes.
A senior NCC official said the regulator is determined to act decisively, stressing that objective performance data will guide enforcement actions and policy decisions to ensure better telecom services nationwide.
