Top Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Nigeria, including Starlink and Spectranet, have recorded a significant drop in their customer numbers as Nigerians cut spending on internet services.

According to the latest ISP data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), total active customers across 127 ISPs, whose data were made available, dropped to 289,369 as of Q1 2025 from 307,946 recorded in Q3 2024.

Specifically, Starlink, which jumped to become the second-largest ISP in Nigeria last year, recorded its first loss as its customer base plunged from 65,564 in Q3 2024 to 59,509 in Q1 2025, showing that over 6,000 users had ditched their subscriptions within the period.

In the same vein, Spectranet, one of the oldest ISPs in Nigeria and the largest in terms of customer numbers, also recorded a decline in subscribers.

According to the NCC’s data, Spectranet’s active customers declined by 2,189 from 105,441 in Q3 2024 to 103,252 in Q1 2025.

The third-largest ISP by customer number, FibreOne, saw the largest decline in active customers as its database plunged from 33,010 in Q3 2024 to 19,000 in Q1 2025, losing over 14,000 customers.

Industry analysts have attributed the decline in the number of ISP customers to several factors, key among which is cost.