MTN Nigeria has attributed the rapid exhaustion of mobile data subscriptions to changing internet habits and smartphone operations, rejecting allegations that telecommunications operators deliberately reduce customers’ data balances.
The company gave the explanation at its “Data on Trial” forum in Abuja on Monday, October 26, during activities surrounding the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit. The engagement brought telecommunications executives and other stakeholders together to examine subscribers’ concerns about data consumption and billing transparency.
Mike Ndukwe, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of Network Performance, explained that the volume of data consumed depends largely on the content users access and the settings on their devices.
He identified video streaming as a major contributor, noting that applications such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram can consume substantial amounts of data, particularly when they display high-definition videos or automatically load successive clips.
According to PUNCH, Ndukwe sighted a 15-second TikTok video, for instance, could consume between two and 20 megabytes, depending on its resolution and other factors. Repeatedly watching short clips can therefore use a significant portion of a data bundle over time.
WhatsApp can also contribute to unexpected consumption when users allow photographs, videos and other media to download automatically. Although text messages generally require little data, frequent media downloads and cloud backups can increase usage considerably.
Other applications continue to refresh their content, synchronise files and download updates while running in the background. Automatic operating-system updates and cloud services such as Google Photos and iCloud may also use mobile data, including when subscribers are asleep.
Hotspot sharing creates another potential drain because connected phones and computers can independently stream videos, download files and update applications. Devices may also switch to mobile data when Wi-Fi connections become weak, depending on their settings.
Also speaking at the forum, MTN’s General Manager of IT Operations, David Ogunsola, addressed another source of customer complaints: differences between consumption figures displayed on smartphones and records maintained by telecommunications networks. He explained that the two systems measure and record data differently, which can produce discrepancies.
MTN advised subscribers to reduce streaming quality, disable unnecessary automatic downloads, restrict background data and configure updates and cloud backups to run over Wi-Fi. Customers can also use the MyMTN application to monitor their consumption and identify applications using the most data.
The company’s explanation comes amid persistent complaints from Nigerian subscribers who say their bundles disappear faster than expected. While MTN maintains that device settings and online activities account for much of the consumption, customers who suspect incorrect deductions can request a review of their usage records and escalate unresolved complaints to the Nigerian Communications Commission.
