Telecom operators’ growth profile falls in Q3
THE challenges posed by the poor
handling of Subscribers Identification
Modules (SIM) cards registration and
subsequent cut off of some customers
from the various networks may have
contributed significantly to the
downward growth profile of the quartet
of MTN Nigeria, Globacom, Airtel and
Etisalat in Q3.
The Guardian findings showed that
between Q2 and Q3, the GSM operators’
growth profile fell from an average of
3.42 per cent in Q1 to Q2 to 1.32 per
cent by the end of Q3.
In specific, according to statistics from
the Nigerian Communications
Commission (NCC), MTN, which earned
2.72 per cent growth at the end of Q2,
fell to minus 0.51 per cent by Q3 ending.
Globacom, whose growth profile was put
at 5.68 per cent by Q2 fell to 0.16 per
cent by the end of Q3.
However, Airtel and Etisalat, according
to the statistics, improved on their
ratings. Airtel, which grew by 3.08 per
cent by Q2, increased to 5.31 per cent by
Q3, while Etisalat had a slight growth
from 2.77 per cent in Q2 to 2.80 per cent
by Q3 ending.
The operators had entered 2015 with an
average of 3.56 per cent growth profile
with Etisalat earning 5.36 per cent;
Globacom 4.81 per cent; Airtel 4.08 per
cent and MTN with 2.10 per cent.
Nonetheless, subscriberwise, the NCC
statistic puts MTN Nigeia far above
others with 62.439 million; Globacom
31.306 million; Airtel 31.134 million and
Etisalat has 23.492 million.
Recalled that in September, MTN cuts its
subscriber growth target on the sliding
Nigeria customer numbers
The firm claimed that more than five
million Nigerian customers were
disconnected following a review into
how they were able to register for phone
contracts.
The company will add 14.8 million net
subscribers this year, compared with a
previous forecast of 16.75 million,
Johannesburg-based MTN said in a
statement.
The carrier’s customer base grew 0.9 per
cent to 233 million in the three months
through September compared with the
previous quarter.
MTN, which operates in more than 20
countries across the Middle East and
Africa, had 5.1 million subscribers cut
off in Nigeria, its biggest market, at the
end of August following checks on
personal documents.
According to an MTN official, Nik
Kershaw, in a report on Bloomberg, the
company was also facing “ongoing
regulatory restrictions” related to its
market-leading position in Africa’s most
populous country. About 3.4 million of
the customers have been reconnected,
the company said.
While the loss of Nigerian customers is a
short-term setback, “it does point to a
tough regulatory environment,” Steve
Minnaar, a money-manager at Cape
Town-based Abax Investment, stated.
“They have been struggling with the
regulator for many years in the Nigerian
environment.”
Meanwhile, Internet subscriptions saw
additional 1.84 million between August
and September. The NCC said the
number increased from 95.37 million to
97.21 million.
MTN has 41.84 million subscribers
browsing the internet on its network.
NCC explained that MTN recorded an
increase of 423,448 Internet subscribers
in September, after recording 41.41
million in August.
According to the data, Globacom has
21.89 million subscribers surfing the net
on its network in September. About
20.77 million surfed the Internet on the
network in August.
Airtel had 17.73 million internet users in
September as against 17.49 million
customers recorded in August. The data
showed that internet users on the Airtel
network increased by 235,941 in
September.
NCC also said that Etisalat had 15.59
million customers who browsed the
internet in September, against the 15.54
million users in August. The data showed
that those browsing the net on Etisalat’s
network rose by 57,061 in the month of
September.
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