MTN Nigeria has attributed the rapid depletion of subscribers’ internet data bundles to high-resolution video streaming, automatic downloads, background applications, cloud backups and increased online activity, denying allegations that telecommunications operators deliberately deduct customers’ data.
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The company said many subscribers unknowingly use large amounts of data through smartphone settings and applications that continue running even when they are not actively browsing.
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Speaking at a forum tagged Data on Trial in Abuja on Monday, held on the sidelines of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of Network Performance, Mike Ndukwe, said data consumption largely depended on users’ online activities and device configurations.
Ndukwe maintained that the company did not steal subscribers’ data, while acknowledging the frustration customers experienced when their bundles ran out faster than expected, particularly amid rising living costs.
He explained that applications such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp consumed different amounts of data depending on video quality, automatic playback and the frequency of downloads.
According to him, watching a 15-second TikTok video could consume between two and 20 megabytes, depending on its quality, while high-definition streaming generally required substantially more data than standard-definition viewing.
Ndukwe noted that ordinary WhatsApp messages typically used little data, but status updates, videos, group conversations and automatic media downloads could quickly exhaust a subscription.
He advised users to review their WhatsApp settings, particularly the automatic download feature, which allows photos, videos and other media to download without requiring users to initiate each download manually.
The MTN executive disclosed that WhatsApp had approximately 45 million users in Nigeria, while TikTok remained among the platforms generating substantial data traffic.
He also cited figures showing that data consumption had increased by approximately 43 per cent year-on-year.
To reduce unexpected consumption, Ndukwe urged subscribers to disable automatic downloads, lower video streaming resolution, activate data-saving features and monitor their usage through the MyMTN application.
Also speaking at the event, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of IT Operations, David Ogunsola, explained that differences between data usage recorded on smartphones and figures measured by telecommunications networks could result from variations in measurement methods, background traffic and the timing of data sessions.
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Ogunsola said data recorded on a device might differ slightly from the volume measured across the network and the amount used for billing purposes.
He added that differences in measurement and rounding could account for variations ranging from two per cent to approximately 12 per cent in some circumstances.
According to him, network technology mainly determines connection speed, while video quality and application settings influence how much data a subscriber consumes.
He explained that whether a user connected through a 3G or 4G network affected how quickly online activities could be completed, rather than automatically determining the amount of data used.
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, also defended the cost of providing telecommunications services, citing electricity expenses and the costs of powering and maintaining network sites.
Toriola said operators in Nigeria and some other African countries had to provide power and transportation to their sites, adding to their operating expenses.
He maintained that Nigerian telecommunications companies deployed equipment comparable to those used in Europe and the United States but faced higher operating costs, particularly for electricity.
Toriola said MTN was intensifying consumer education to help subscribers understand their smartphone settings and manage their internet usage more effectively.
The Northwest Sales Manager of Xiaomi Nigeria, Kevin Kojode, also attributed unexpected data depletion to automatic software updates, cloud synchronisation, background applications and unrestricted hotspot connections.
Kojode observed that smartphone users increasingly remained connected to the internet throughout the day, allowing applications and services to consume data even when users were not actively using them.
Using a one-gigabyte subscription as an example, he explained how background updates, cloud backups and operating-system activities could consume a significant portion of a bundle without users deliberately initiating downloads.
He advised subscribers to restrict automatic updates to Wi-Fi connections, activate data limits, monitor devices connected to their hotspots and reduce video streaming quality.
Kojode also highlighted smartphone features that enable users to monitor data consumption and control sharing, saying a better understanding of device settings could help Nigerians manage their subscriptions and avoid unexpected depletion.
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