Nigeria’s mobile connectivity landscape is seeing an unexpected shift in rural performance, with T2mobile (formerly 9mobile) emerging as the strongest network operator outside major cities. According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Ookla’s Q4 2025 Industry Performance Report, T2mobile recorded the fastest median rural download speeds nationwide, outperforming larger competitors such as MTN, Airtel, and Globacom.
The report shows that T2mobile achieved a median rural download speed of 24.9 Mbps, well above the national rural average of 11.0 Mbps, which itself improved from 8.5 Mbps in the previous year. By comparison, MTN Nigeria recorded 15.8 Mbps, Airtel Nigeria 10.6 Mbps, and Globacom 9.5 Mbps in rural areas during the same period.
This performance positions T2mobile as the strongest rural network in Nigeria by speed, despite its relatively small market share.
Rural performance outpaces urban speeds
One of the more notable findings from the report is that T2mobile’s rural download speeds exceeded its urban performance, where the operator recorded a median of 18.5 Mbps. This inversion highlights how network congestion continues to weigh on performance in Nigeria’s major cities, while less crowded rural networks allow available capacity to deliver stronger speeds.
The disparity also underscores a broader industry trend: speed leadership is no longer solely determined by subscriber scale, but by spectrum efficiency, infrastructure placement, and traffic management.
Strong regional peaks
Beyond median figures, T2mobile recorded standout peak speeds in specific states. According to the report, the operator achieved 82.3 Mbps in Anambra and 80.0 Mbps in Oyo during Q4 2025—some of the highest rural download results recorded nationwide.
These peaks suggest that targeted investments in select regions are yielding tangible performance improvements, particularly where spectrum availability and backhaul capacity are well-aligned.
Spectrum leasing and roaming partnerships drive gains
T2mobile’s rural performance gains are closely linked to strategic infrastructure and spectrum decisions made in 2025. In October, the operator entered a three-year spectrum lease agreement with MTN Nigeria, securing 5 MHz in the 900 MHz band and 15 MHz in the 1800 MHz band.
Lower-frequency spectrum, especially in the 900 MHz band, is well-suited for rural coverage due to its wider propagation range and stronger indoor penetration. This has helped T2mobile improve coverage depth in less dense areas without the heavy capital costs of extensive tower deployment.
In addition, a national roaming agreement with MTN allows T2 subscribers to access MTN’s network where T2mobile’s infrastructure is limited. This arrangement has significantly reduced coverage gaps that previously affected the operator’s service quality, particularly outside urban centres.
The company has also invested in network upgrades through a multi-million-dollar modernization deal with Huawei, focusing on capacity optimization and performance stability.
Small market share, outsized rural impact
Despite its strong showing in rural speeds, T2mobile remains Nigeria’s fourth-largest mobile operator, with an estimated 1.8% market share as of November 2025. The NCC notes that this limits the overall impact of its performance gains at a national scale.
However, the data demonstrates that smaller operators can still influence connectivity outcomes through focused investment and strategic partnerships—especially in underserved areas where competition is less intense and user demand is growing.
Rural-urban gap still persists
While rural speeds improved in 2025, the NCC report highlights that Nigeria still faces a 40% performance gap between urban and rural areas, particularly in upload speeds and network latency. This gap continues to affect digital inclusion, service reliability, and the viability of data-intensive applications outside major cities.
The regulator notes that closing this divide will require sustained investment in rural infrastructure, improved spectrum utilization, and stronger incentives for operators to expand beyond commercially attractive urban markets.
Why it matters
As Nigeria pushes toward deeper digital inclusion, rural connectivity is becoming a defining metric of network quality. T2mobile’s performance shows that targeted spectrum access, roaming partnerships, and focused infrastructure investment can deliver measurable gains—even without dominant market share.
For policymakers and industry players, the results reinforce the importance of collaborative network models and spectrum flexibility in accelerating nationwide connectivity, particularly in communities that have historically been left behind.
