…Internet speed influenced by infrastructure, technology, regulations, investment & market competition.
By Alexander Chiejina.
According to Southwest’s ‘Internet Speed by Country 2023: The Cyber Race’ research, Nigeria is ranked 146 globally and 23rd in Africa among nations with the fastest internet based on its average download speed of 24.22 Mbps.
Internet speed is a key component of modern life in the digital age, driving everything from communication to business. This comes as the top five countries in Africa with the fastest internet are South Africa, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Gabon, and Ivory Coast, with speeds of 70.79 Mbps, 60.3 Mbps, 59.41 Mbps, 57.81 Mbps, and 55.88 Mbps, respectively.
Monaco’s average internet speed is a whopping 319.59 Mbps. Singapore comes in at a respectable second with a speed of 300.83 Mbps. Third place goes to Chile with 298.5 Mbps. Hong Kong has 292.21 Mbps, which ranks it. The world’s most populated nation, China, completes the top five with a respectable 280.01 Mbps. Sixth rank is held by Switzerland with 279.8 Mbps. Seventh place is held by France with 271.33 Mbps. Denmark comes in at number eight with 270.27 Mbps. Thailand is in tenth place with 260.54 Mbps, while Romania is in ninth with 260.97 Mbps.
The speed at which consumers may access content online is significantly influenced by the average download speed. While slower internet connections may cause delays and annoyance, higher download speeds improve the entire internet experience. For reliable, fast internet connection speeds, fixed broadband is a crucial element. Countries with significant fixed broadband infrastructure investments typically have faster average download speeds.
Economic conditions, the degree of technological innovation, and amount of market rivalry are only a few of the variables that have an impact on how quickly internet is available in different nations. Unsurprisingly, increasing fixed broadband availability, modernising technology, and fostering provider competition are all necessary for boosting poor internet speeds. Strategic investments in these areas can result in significant speed increases for internet connections.
Both fixed broadband and mobile internet speeds are increasing globally, according to trends. Businesses in areas with quick internet connectivity benefit from things like better communication, efficient operations, and easier access to international markets. The level of competition among internet service providers in a nation also has an impact on internet speed; generally, more competition means lower pricing and quicker speeds.
This change occurs as 2023 approaches and the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020-2025) has set a 50% broadband penetration objective. The Federal Government established a broadband penetration target of “50% of eligible individuals with provision for physically challenged” for 2023 in the policy paper.
Nigeria has a sizable online following thanks to one of the world’s youngest and largest populations. According to Statista research titled “Internet usage in Nigeria – statistics & facts,” there are over 109 million internet users in Nigeria despite the country’s internet penetration rate being at 51%. The remarkable high penetration of mobile internet in Nigeria, where over 84 percent of all internet traffic is generated by mobile devices, is a distinctive feature of internet usage in that country.
In Q1 2023, mobile network operators (MNOs) had more than 150 million active internet subscriptions, outnumbering ISPs in terms of total user base. The ISP with the most active subscribers in Nigeria is Spectranet, which holds the top spot, and closely by Tizeti and IN X.
With over 65 million internet members in Nigeria, MTN Nigeria is the country’s leading mobile internet provider. Recently, the Central Bank of Nigeria granted licences to mobile service providers to run mobile payments, including MTN. Globacom, 9mobile, and Airtel are additional top providers of mobile internet. Nigeria ranks among the first 60 nations out of 228 countries globally in terms of rates for mobile data, from least costly to most expensive. Nigeria is one of the countries in Africa with the lowest costs for mobile data when compared regionally.
Facebook and WhatsApp are the two most widely used social media platforms. Following were Facebook Messenger and Instagram. Young adults made up most social media users in Nigeria, which is not surprising. The gender gap in internet usage in the nation is an intriguing demographic aspect. All age categories have a considerably larger male audience share, according to data analysing the online advertising audience. Male social media users were even twice as prevalent as female users in some age groups.
The positive Impacts of high internet speed includes enhancing global connectivity, including communication and collaboration across borders, fostering global business relationships and cultural exchange, promoting innovation, and contributing to economic expansion; enabling better access to online learning resources, virtual classrooms, and global educational collaboration; supporting telemedicine, remote diagnostics, and seamless data sharing among healthcare professionals, while improving patient care and accessibility; offering greater opportunities for telecommuting and flexible work arrangements, benefiting both employers and employees; empowering farmers with real-time information on weather, enhancing productivity and sustainability; enabling high-quality streaming, gaming, and interactive media experiences, thereby enriching leisure time and entertainment options.
Other advantages include lowering entry barriers for startups and innovators by providing access to global markets and resources, encouraging creativity and new business ventures, as well as enhancing social connections and community engagement; facilitating the use of smart devices and home automation systems for more efficient and comfortable living; promoting paperless transactions and virtual meetings, thereby contributing to reduced resource consumption and environmental impact.