According to a new report released by the Nigerian Communications Commission NCC in partnership with network analytics firm Ookla , Nigeria's mobile connectivity landscape is showing steady progress, with rural areas recording noticeable improvements in download speeds. The report , titled "The Great Divide: Urban vs. Rural Speeds," provides a comprehensive analysis of how Nigerians experience mobile broadband across different regions and sheds light on the country's ongoing efforts to close the digital gap.
The study found that while urban areas continue to enjoy faster speeds, rural connectivity is catching up at an encouraging rate. Median download speeds in rural communities nearly doubled this year, climbing from 7.5 Mbps in January to 15 Mbps by September 2025. However, the performance gap between rural and urban networks has remained consistent, averaging between 5 and 6 Mbps.
This performance pattern, the report notes, reflects the layered structure of Nigeria's mobile ecosystem. LTE 4G continues to serve as the country's connectivity backbone, providing stable and dependable service nationwide. In comparison, 5G remains a niche technology concentrated in urban centers, offering impressive speeds ranging from 180 to 220 Mbps but without major latency improvements over LTE.
