Report: High Density Areas Constraint to Telecom’s Network Congestion at Peak Period

Emma Okonji

The Q3 2025 report on Network Capacity Reliability (NCR), released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has identified high density areas, such as urban centres as the major cause of congestion across telecoms operators’ network, especially at peak periods between 6am and 11.59pm.

According to the report, the challenge of high density areas, is affecting upload and download speeds, causing network congestion, resulting in dropped video calls, buffering on streams, failed mobile payments, and slow download.

The report, which THISDAY obtained from the official website of NCC, further explained that most capacity restrictions were focused in urban areas, impacting operators with dominant presence in those areas, adding that congestion during peak hours makes things feel slow and unreliable, even if coverage is good.

Having identified the major cause of network congestion at peak periods, NCC therefore advised that the most effective strategy to relieve capacity strain in cities is a multi-faceted approach focusing on two goals: aggressively deploying 5G technology and optimising the capacity of the existing 4G (LTE) network to improve performance for all users.

“Download capacity constraints are primarily a localised problem. While the national proportion shows a minimal overall impact across the country, the issue is intensified in high-density urban areas. The localised congestion leads directly to peak-hour performance degradation, confirming that targeted infrastructure investment in these urban zones is most critical to ensure consistent service quality,” the report said.

The report highlighted some of the human impacts of network congestion to include: Capacity issues in education; Delay in payment processing; and Buffering network that affects video call quality and reliability, among others.

The report explained that students in high-density areas may struggle with e-learning applications due to poor quality of experience (QoE), when there is network congestion. It also explained that mobile payment processing could be delayed or fail during peak business hours, whenever there is network congestion, and that video call quality and reliability would suffer significantly when network capacity is strained.

“Capacity restrictions are concentrated in urban zones, the impact on rural service is extremely low, reinforcing that the constraint is a localised issue tied to high-density areas,” the report further said.

Highlight of the report, showed urban pressure from capacity congestion concentrated in high-traffic zones, which according to the report, is overwhelmingly an urban problem.

For download impact, the download speeds are the most significantly impacted aspect of service during peak hours.

While offering strategic solution to network congestion challenge, NCC, in the report, said: “Targeted investment, especially in 5G infrastructure in dense urban areas, is the best strategy to relieve congestion and secure reliable data services. The NCC is dedicated to ensuring transparency and fostering a competitive environment that drives operators to eliminate these local bottlenecks, securing reliable connectivity for every Nigerian consumer.”

The data-driven public report was developed by the NCC, in partnership with Ookla, a global leader in network intelligence and performance measurement. 

Published quarterly, the report provides unbiased insights into network performance, coverage, and service quality across operators, states, and regions in Nigeria.

Through the initiative, the commission aims to promote accountability, identify service gaps, and support evidence-based policy interventions that drive innovation, attract investment, and ensure Nigerians enjoy reliable, high-quality connectivity.