Nigerian telcos recorded 577 network outages, 361 fibre cuts in Q1 2026

Nigerian telcos experienced 577 network outages in the first three months of 2026, resulting in drops and disruptions in quality for Nigerian subscribers. 

According to the data obtained on the Nigerian Communications Commission’s uptime portal, a real-time portal for network downtime, the 577 cases between January and March cut across 11 telecom operators (MNOs and ISPs). 

Further breakdown shows that the leading telco, MTN Nigeria, recorded the highest number of outages with 234, followed by the internet service provider, Backbone Connectivity Network (BCN), with 166 cases. In percentage, both accounted for about 70% of all cases in Q1 2026. 

Other telcos with high figures are T2mobile (formerly 9mobile) with 63 cases, Airtel Nigeria with 42 and Layer3 with 33.

At the tail of the list are ISPs such as IPNX (17), FibreOne (8), Tizeti (5), Suburban (4), Smile (4) and Starlink (1). 

Across the first quarter, there were 361 cases of fibre cuts, becoming the leading cause of outages in the industry during the period. 144 incidents of power outages in base stations also contributed to the disruptions.

In addition, the industry experienced 20 equipment failures, 12 bush burning, and 9 cases of telecom infrastructure vandalism. Others are low optical power (3), service outage (1), equipment theft (1), fallen cables (1) and other unspecified causes (25). 

While the outages led to a drop in network quality, most of the repairs were made within a day, signalling the responsiveness of operators.

Also Read: 238 network outages in January 2026 raises concerns about reliable telco service.

Analysing the numbers

January saw one of the highest disruptions in months, with 238 outages. The figure was a 101.7% increase from the 118 reported cases in December 2025.

BCN recorded the highest disruptions with 188 cases, followed by MTN at 75 cases and T2mobile with 23 cases. Others are Layer3 (9), Airtel (8), Fiberone Broadband (2), IPNX (2), and Starlink (1).

Fibre cuts accounted for 67.6% (161) of the outages, while power outages held 18.5% (44) share. Others are bush burning (11), vandalism (5), low optical power (3), equipment failure (2), power optimisation (1), congestion (1), and other unknown causes (14).

In February, network outages reduced by 20.5% from 238 cases in January to 189 cases. 

With 87 cases of disruptions, MTN Nigeria suffered the highest outages during the month, followed by T2mobile with 24 cases. Airtel Nigeria and Layer3 came third with 12 cases each. Others are Smile (4), FibreOne (4), Tizeti (3), Suburban (2) and IPNX (2). 

Cuts in fibre-optic cables were the highest leading cause of outages, with 75 cases, followed by 52 cases of power outages. Other notable causes during the months are equipment failures (8), unspecified causes (7), vandalism (2) and bush burning (2).

Compared to February, network outages in March decreased by 20.6% to 150 cases. 

Yet, MTN led with 72 cases of outages, although the figure reduced by 17.2% from February’s record. Following a total escape in the previous month, BCN returned to the books with 48 cases. The figure was a huge drop from the 188 cases recorded in January. 

Airtel also suffered 22 cases of outages, an 83% increase compared to its February numbers, while T2mobile improved after dropping to 16 cases of disruptions. Others are IPNX (13), Layer3 (12), Tizeti (2), Suburban (2), and FibreOne (2). 

While fibre cuts are common to all Nigerian telcos, some causes are more peculiar to one operator than another.

For instance, MTN, Airtel and 9mobile suffered from power outages more than the ISPs combined. Also, they had a high record of fibre cuts due to their subscriber base. Although a larger part of BCN’s (an ISP) network disruption is attributed to fibre cuts. 

Also Read: NCC orders MTN, Airtel, others to inform users about major network outages.

Efforts to curtail network outages 

In retrospect, the data reveal that fibre cuts (361 cases) and power outages (144 cases) are still the leading causes of network downtime in the Nigerian telecom industry. 

The numbers reflect how Nigerians struggle to enjoy sustainable quality calls and internet experience, and how it continues to affect businesses that depend on digital/online transactions.

Recently, the NCC launched a fierce responsibility operation by directing mobile operators to compensate subscribers whose quality of service experience is below specified targets within certain locations.

In such cases, the burden of network outages is being lifted from subscribers to operators who fail to meet prescribed standards of service delivery, especially in remote areas. 

On the other hand, telecom infrastructures have been designated as national assets, but issues of fibre cuts persist. 

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been leading various campaigns across the federation against telecom infrastructure vandalism. It has also threatened legal action against road construction companies over cable cuts. 

Culprits, according to the agency, will face applicable sanctions as contained in the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015. With the action, NSCDC aims to create awareness for responsible citizenship and a safe environment for the growth of the digital economy.

The post Nigerian telcos recorded 577 network outages, 361 fibre cuts in Q1 2026 first appeared on Technext.