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MTN Nigeria has increased its data subscription prices, implementing the 50% price increment approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
This change affects various data plans, including:
1.8GB monthly plan: Now costs ₦1,500, up from ₦1,000 for the previous 1.5GB plan
20GB plan: Increased to ₦7,500 from ₦5,500
15GB plan: Now priced at ₦6,500, up from ₦4,500
Larger bundles: Experienced more significant increases, such as the 90-day 1.5GB plan jumping from ₦150,000 to ₦240,000
Not all plans have been affected, however.
For instance, the 2.5GB daily plan at ₦600 remains unchanged.
This price adjustment is part of a broader industry shift, with other telecom operators like SWIFT Networks also implementing price increases.
Text message now N6.00
While other mobile operators comprising Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile are yet to update their data prices as of the time of filling this report, Nairametrics can confirm that all the networks are now charging N6.00 for text message, instead of the previous N4.00.
The increment in the price of text message reflects the 50% approved by the NCC.
According to telecom industry sources, the telcos got the final approval for their new tariff plans on Monday and all the operators are in the process of adjusting their data and voice plans.
Speaking at a forum two weeks ago, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) Engr. Gbenga Adebayo had disclosed that all the operator had sent their new tariff plans to the NCC and were awaiting approval.
It will be recalled that the
NCC had on January 20 announced that it had approved a 50% tariff adjustment for telecom operators, citing rising operational costs and the need to sustain the industry.
The Commission in a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, said the decision underlines the Commission’s regulatory role under Section 108 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
However, the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) has threatened to challenge the approved tariff hike in court.
According to NATCOMS, this decision was made without adequate consultation with key stakeholders, including subscribers.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has defended the 50% hike in tariff approval granted to the telecom operators, saying it was necessary to keep the telecom industry viable.
Moreso, it is noted that the approval does not mean that the telecom operators must immediately increase their tariffs by 50%.
“It is important to highlight that this approval does not mean automatic increases in tariffs. Operators are free to maintain their current rates if they find them sustainable,” the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Centre, stated in a recent statement.
While describing the approval as an important step aimed at addressing critical challenges in the telecommunications sector, the Centre noted that the telecom industry in Nigeria had operated under static price mechanisms for over a decade as prices have remained unchanged since 2013, despite significant increases in the cost of operations.
