Which network has the fastest internet speed in Nigeria?

Airtel Nigeria has emerged the network with the fastest mobile internet speed in Nigeria. When it comes to mobile performance, Airtel Nigeria was ahead of MTN; in Q2 2022, Airtel Nigeria recorded a median download speed of 30.35 Mbps and a median upload speed of 10.28 Mbps, both of which topped those of MTN (26.30 Mbps download and 9.13 Mbps upload). 

This data is from the Speedtest Intelligence which analyzed the internet speed performance of four mobile service providers across 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and published by Ookla Insights.

The four operators singled out for the tests – Airtel, Orange, MTN and Vodacom command a combined majority of 62% of total subscriptions in sub-Saharan Africa. While the select 10 countries account for 59% of the region’s connections.

• East Africa: Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda;
• Southern Africa: Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, and Botswana;
• West Africa: Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Nigeria.

The data showed that MTN South Africa delivered the fastest internet speeds in Africa, with median download speed of 65.95 Mbps, followed by Vodacom South Africa with a median download speed of 48.70 Mbps. These speeds where achieved in large parts due to the availability of 5G Network. Cities like Lagos and Abuja can expect faster internet speeds as Mtn deploys its 5G network in those cities.

Head-to-head performance between Airtel and MTN across the three countries they operate in, put Airtel ahead in Nigeria, both in terms of median download and upload speed in Q2 2022, while in Uganda and Rwanda there were no winners.

As of Q2 2022, MTN Nigeria commanded 38.9% of Nigeria’s mobile users, with its 74.1 million subscribers almost double that of Airtel’s 46.0 million.

Yet, when it comes to mobile performance, Airtel Nigeria was ahead of MTN. In Q2 2022, Airtel Nigeria recorded a median download speed of 30.35 Mbps and a median upload speed of 10.28 Mbps, both of which topped those of MTN (26.30 Mbps download and 9.13 Mbps upload).

Those speeds are set to increase as both companies have invested heavily into network infrastructure, with a combined investment of N208.5 billion ($502 million). The investment translates into an increase in 4G Availability as well. In Q2 2022, MTN had 83.8% 4G Availability compared to Airtel’s 77.9%.