4G Market Penetration Drops as 5G Gains in Nigeria
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reported a decline in 4G market penetration to 54.30% in May 2026, down from 54.41% in April 2026. This marks the first drop in 4G penetration since the commercial launch of 5G in Nigeria in September 2022 by MTN and June 2023 by Airtel Nigeria.
Prior to this decline, 4G had consistently led the market for nearly four years, with penetration figures of 52.95% in December 2025, 53.41% in January 2026, 53.59% in February 2026, and peaking at 54.41% in April 2026. In contrast, 5G penetration increased to 4.49% in May 2026 from 4.34% in April 2026.
Despite operators' expectations that 5G would surpass 2G, 3G, and 4G within a year due to its faster speeds and lower latency, 4G continues to be the most widely utilized technology among telecom subscribers.
Plus234Feed summary based on reporting from This Day. Read the original report below.
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