Starlink and FibreOne regained momentum in the second half of 2025, reinforcing their places as Nigeria’s second and third-largest internet service providers.
Their resurgence came during a rough period for Spectranet, the long-time market leader, which dropped below the 100,000-subscriber mark for the first time since the Nigerian Communications Commission began publishing ISP data.
Spectranet’s troubles deepened in Q2 2025 as it lost 3,732 users, slipping from 103,252 to 99,520 subscribers. The decline is significant for a company that once dominated the wireless broadband market with a comfortable lead.
Starlink also experienced a dip in the same period, shedding more than 6,000 subscribers and falling to 59,509. Unlike Spectranet, however, Starlink’s setback was temporary.
By Q2 2025, the satellite operator bounced back to 66,523 users, surpassing its Q4 2024 numbers and showing strong resilience in a turbulent market.
Spectranet’s continued contraction highlights its struggle with service quality, customer retention and overall competitiveness.
According to a TechCabal report, the subscriber losses raised concerns about the company’s ability to invest in network improvements or remain aggressive in a market that is moving quickly.
FibreOne faced a severe hit in Q1 2025, losing roughly 42 percent of its customers after plunging from 33,898 subscribers to 19,823.
Rising costs, inconsistent performance and shifting customer expectations contributed to the broader churn seen across Nigeria’s ISP space.
Yet the fibre-to-home provider staged one of the year’s strongest recoveries. By Q2 2025, its subscriber base had climbed to 37,117, more than doubling its first-quarter total and restoring its strength in the wired broadband segment.
The upheavals of 2025 echoed trends seen the previous year. NCC data shows that active ISP subscriptions grew 8.9 percent in 2024, rising from 262,206 to 285,605.
Spectranet ended that year as the largest ISP with 102,486 users, while Starlink closed in rapidly with 60,862 subscribers after just a short time in the Nigerian market.
FibreOne finished 2024 with 19,000 subscribers, holding its place as the country’s top wired broadband provider. In the wireless category, Spectranet controlled nearly half the market, but Starlink’s 28.4 percent share underscored how fast the newcomer was gaining traction.
Why Starlink keeps winning
Starlink’s growth reflects a mix of technology advantages and shifting user priorities.
Its low-earth orbit satellites deliver high-speed internet across nearly every part of Nigeria, including rural communities where fibre rollouts and LTE coverage fall short.
Reliability became a major draw for customers frustrated by outages, slow speeds and inconsistent service from traditional ISPs.
Even with higher pricing, many remote workers, SMEs and heavy data users preferred paying more for stable connectivity.