The internet data problem is one that every typical Nigerian internet user can relate to. Ask, and most of the 144.8 million Internet subscribers in the country would have a story of agony to tell.
From a poor data network after subscribing to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that fail to install after payment, every ISP comes with its baggage, and the agency in charge, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), seems to be in collusion with some of these telecom companies (an inference deduced from a personal experience with them; merely a speculation, nothing confirmed yet, though).
My experience and that of others I have read online have made me define them all (the ISPs) as devils we can neither cast nor bind. Anyway, here is my story:
How It Started
The cost of living in Nigeria has, over the last few years, been rising significantly due to high inflation, fuel subsidy removal, and naira devaluation. Before the emergence of the present administration (from May 29, 2023 – present), the trend was no different.
While in Lagos state, I used the FiberOne residential service, and the service, probably due to my location, was okay. I noted it is probably due to my location because my former place of work (which is in another location) also uses the same service, and it was nothing but erratic. Most SIM card-based unlimited data plans, be it an unlimited MTN data plan, an Airtel unlimited data plan, or even a Glo unlimited data plan, have a Fair Use Policy (FUP), which means the internet speed is massively throttled after consuming a certain amount of data before the expiration of the subscription.
Due to work and a plan to save on house rent, I migrated from Lagos to Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State. Unlike Lagos, the available ISPs in the ‘brown-roof’ city can be counted on one hand. My choice of location made it harder to find an ISP with coverage in the area.
Although a story for another day, contrary to the advertisement that the area has a stable power supply, the reality was far from it; the ambassadors and agents in the area deserve a lawsuit for not adding “allegedly” to their claim.
The Only Available Devil: iWorld Networks
To select an ISP for my new residence, I considered three major things:
- Stable Internet (minimal or no downtime)
- Unlimited usage (no Fair Usage Policy)
- Fair pricing
I messaged some ISPs offering unlimited data plans in Ibadan to enquire if they have coverage in the area, but none do. With Google search, I was able to find an ISP in the city with service similar to FiberOne, but unfortunately, they also do not have coverage in the area. Why not Starlink? You may ask.
Well, considering the total price at the time and the fact that I would be the only user, I didn’t think an investment of about ₦500,000 was justifiable for my needs. Remember, my most recent ISP in Lagos served me okay for less (₦11,994 per month), at least enough for what I needed the Internet for, at the time.
Monthly data subscription on my GSM SIM is a No-No for me. That would be expensive, plus it is not unlimited. Luckily (I thought) for me, I found an ISP that confirmed they indeed have coverage in the area. Unlike fibre broadband, which I am used to, they supply their service via a radio beam.
Fibre Optic vs Radio Internet: The Pros and Cons
Imagine your power supply, which is done by connecting your home to a pole on your street, which is in turn connected to the national grid; that is how the fibre internet works.
The Fiber to Home (FTTH) technology connects your home directly to the ISP’s internet station. The data transfer is stable and not affected by almost anything except if any of the cables in the network are tampered with or damaged.
Radio internet, on the other hand, leverages radio waves. Imagine a radio station broadcast, but you will need to set up a beam in your home to receive the broadcast signal instead of only using a portable traditional radio. The ISP broadcasts the Internet service, and you receive it at your home with a radio beam (acting as an antenna). Your router will be connected to the beam for WiFi distribution within your home.
Pros and Cons
Radio Internet Technology (RIT) allows for a wider coverage, especially in small towns and villages, thanks to its long range. Coverage of Fibre internet, on the other hand, is limited to the reach of its cables.
Radio internet is prone to interference, which can significantly affect the internet speed. This means your provider might advertise 100 Mbps to you, but you might only receive 60 Mbps or less due to interference.
While fibre internet does not suffer a similar fate, your internet might, however, get disrupted if anything should happen to the cable, such as vandalism or a trailer damaging an overhead fibre cable in your street.
In Search of Peace of Mind, My Heart Was Broken
Remember, I was using FiberOne in Lagos, so my search for a reliable network was hinged on something similar, and in this case, a fibre internet.
Through a Google search, I was able to find SmartCiti Fiber, and after reading their Google reviews, I thought I had found my “Eureka” moment, but this was short-lived as their customer support delivered the bad news that “we don’t have coverage in the area at the moment”.
I messaged several other ISPs, but many did not respond, while some, like Hyperia, did respond. Not just that, the response was from their Managing Director, and it was in less than 12 hours. While I can’t speak about their service since I did not later use it, their response time is a good one in my book.
Another ISP with fantastic response time and good customer service, which I later settled for, was iWorld Network. Needless to say, they have coverage in the area. However, they are not a fiber internet service provider, but instead they deliver their service via radio internet technology.
My Experience with iWorld Networks
After using the iWorld Network internet service for at least 30 months, I can summarize my experience thus: sometimes, good customer service does not translate to good internet service.
First, the customer rep/agent that handled my order made me purchase the full kit for installation, which made the installation price at the time total N190,000.
I would later find out the company has a plan whereby the installation would only cost ₦50,000, although all the equipment shall remain the company’s property, which is not bad, because I doubt I will ever need the Ubiquity beam, for instance, for anything else if I ever discontinue using their service (which is what later happened).
The Long Journey of Poor Internet Service
The poor service delivered by iWorld Networks started from the first week of use till the day I discontinued their service (about 2 years and 6 months). Due to poor internet service, I was forced to downgrade from their highest residential tier plan to the lowest, using the price difference to subscribe to normal data on my SIM card as backup.
There is barely a week or day I won’t have to contact their customer support before I have a good internet service; most days, there is no difference despite the contact.
Nevertheless, I would have to praise their customer support service, the best I have ever experienced with any Nigerian brand. They are available 24/7, and “YES,” I mean 24 hours per day, and all days of the week. I have chatted with them via WhatsApp as late as 2 am and got an instant response, including on Saturdays and Sundays.
Contrary to the peace of mind promised by iWorld Networks when I was onboarded, my heart was not only broken, but shattered.
You may ask, if the service is indeed poor, why did I continue using it for two and a half years? Well, for a starter, I am a heavy data consumer, which is what prompted me to embark on a search for unlimited internet data service providers; unlucky for me, they are the only ones I could find.
Secondly, the ISP was the only one I could find with coverage in the area, despite offering almost half the speed for the price of what others were offering, I am kinda stuck with them.
Even though the service is poor, they promised 20 Mbps for the plan subscribed to, but the highest I have ever recorded was less than 15 Mbps, usually at midnight. During the day, the best I get is less than 10 Mbps, and sometimes less than 1 Mbps.
Since I was the only major user, and my work requires mostly surfing the internet instead of heavy usage like playing games, I had to manage because subscribing on my normal SIM card will cost a lot more, except for backup.
It is also essential to note that my main SIM is Airtel, and the network is erratic in the area, too.
My Rating of iWorld Networks
Customer Service: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Internet Service: 2.5/5 ⭐⭐
From Fire to Frying Pan: Airtel ODU
A few years later, after installing iWorld Networks internet service, more alternatives started springing up, including a Fiber-based internet service, Instant Fiber, with coverage in the area.
I didn’t later go for this service because, despite their prompt response to emails (which I found commendable), they are slow in getting their engineers to the site for survey and evaluation. I want to assume it was an isolated case, as it seems they do not have any other customers in my estate at the time.
When their engineers finally came around for the site survey and evaluation, I expected them to reach out and update me on the next process, but it was radio silence.
Maybe they were considering the capital it might take to establish a base in the estate, especially as they would be having just one customer (I might be wrong, though).
I would later send them an email asking why the delay in response, to which they replied and apologized, and also followed up via WhatsApp.
Airtel ODU to the Rescue?
Well, the same day I sent the follow-up email to InstantFiber, over the night, while doing more online research, I came across the Airtel ODU, which seems like a great option considering it does not require an upfront installation fee (₦150,000 as in the case of Instant Fiber).
The only upfront payment for the Airtel ODU was ₦25,000, and it also covered the unlimited data subscription for that month.
I made a purchase, the next day, September 25, 2025, and the setup was installed on Friday 26, 2025. Quite swift and applaudable, although my MTN FiberX installation was quicker; same day (more on this later).
For a national ISP, I never doubt Airtel to make good on its promise. Upon installation, I experienced a browsing experience I could last remember in my days of using FiberOne (over two years ago, at the time) and even better. The 50Mbps internet speed was blazing! I felt this inner joy checking the speed using Fast and Speedtest. Well, the enjoyment was short-lived. Less than two weeks after the installation, it dawned on me I had only jumped from fire into a frying pan. I could imagine iWorld Networks letting out a loud laughter 🤣. Somebody actually laughed at me 😒. I kid you not, iWorld Networks seems like a better ISP compared to what Airtel ODU was delivering.
I noticed the company is swift in their response and fixing if you are complaining for the first time, after which they handled your complaint like “wetin u wan do!”. Airtel’s response time and fix of the slow internet speed were swift after my first complaint via X (formerly Twitter). I would later find out it was a one-time offer.
The experience became a de javu of where I was coming from. Now I have to always chat with Airtel support before enjoying the internet service.
What also made things worse was that they stopped responding at a time, after my third complaint.
I had to file a complaint against them with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). You would think this would make them fix the issue, but it seems they lack the capacity to deliver what they promised, so it is impossible for them. My experience with the NCC regarding Airtel’s ODU poor internet service is detailed in the next section.
Is the Data Privacy Czar Blind, or Just Selective?: NDPC
I contemplated adding this section, but I could not let it slide. During my back-and-forth with iWorld Networks and at the verge of discontinuing their service, I noticed something unusual: my sign-in password on their portal is not encrypted.
iWorld, at a time, after discontinuing their service and not owing them a dime (technically, they were owing me), sent an invoice reminder, and in it, they added my login details, which included my password.
I reported the plain password practice to the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), and to date, almost 7 months later, the only response I got was the automated response: “Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We appreciate your cooperation. The commission is committed to looking into this, and further details and actions would be communicated accordingly.”
Maybe I shouldn’t have and should have reached out to the company instead, but due to my dissatisfaction and anger at the time, I contacted the NDPC instead, a governmental agency that, from their action and handling of the complaint, is nothing but a selectively blind organization that only pursues matters that put their names on newspaper headlines.
I had a better experience with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) concerning another matter I will be sharing in another article.
Is NCC in Cahoots With ISPs Offering Poor Service?
This was the question I asked myself after analysing how the commission handled my complaint against Airtel Nigeria.
I will let the screenshot of the exchanged emails do the talking.
For context, the NCC’s mandate, which was established in the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 and signed into law on July 8, 2003, gives the commission power to resolve disputes of persons subject to the Act.
The Act empowers it to serve as a regulatory body responsible for protecting internet service provider (ISP) consumers by ensuring fair practices, quality service, and prompt resolution of complaints.
Unfortunately, they are only interested in ensuring an erring ISP responds to their email demanding an explanation and not in ensuring and mandating them to do the needful. Any explanation they give, so far, that the email has been responded to, seems acceptable to the NCC. Looks like anything for record purposes. This is nothing but a “Gwo Gwo Ngwo” diplomacy dance at the expense of the consumers.
The Savior With a Baggage
While the back-and-forth with the NCC/Airtel was going on, I noticed some fiber cables in my estate, and upon inquiry, I was able to confirm that it is indeed the MTN FiberX.
Without hesitating, because I needed a stable internet service that is truly unlimited, I made a purchase. Surprisingly, the installation was done the same day, but fully configured the next day.
Well, ever since October 13, 2025, I have been using the MTN FiberX, and the experience has been fantastic. However, they have a baggage which is their customer care time of response, and the nonchalant attitude of my so-called account manager.
Even the sales representatives who handled your purchase might not be able to help when you have an issue with the setup or required relocation of your device. The details of my experience with the MTN FiberX will be shared in another article, which I will link here once done.
Summary
This article shared my experience with at least five (5) ISPs offering unlimited internet data service. I used three (3) of them and detailed the result.
Here is my verdict:
The problem with unlimited internet data in Nigeria is not that no ISPs offer such a service; rather, it can be argued that they are complacent because the authorities that are supposed to keep them in check always turn a blind eye to the subpar service they provide.
Disclaimer
The information in this article is the personal experience of the writer and not a standardized review, which may include tests conducted by professionals and authorised institutions.
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be substituted for product recommendations, endorsements, or otherwise. Always do your personal research and conduct appropriate due diligence before committing to any service or product.
Also, the details shared and experienced are at the time the writer experienced them. Real-time experience may now differ as some reviewed organizations, agencies, companies, products, or services may have improved or declined after these experiences.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article misstated the time the author started using the MTN FiberX as October 13, 2026. It has now been corrected to October 13, 2025.