Report: T2 Leads in Technical Compliance as Operators Score High in Road Network Coverage

Emma Okonji

T2, the last entrant among the four major telecoms operators in Nigeria, is leading other operators in technical compliance on road network coverage, even as all GSM operators scored high in major road network coverage across Nigeria, according to the Q4 2025 Industry Performance Report, released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The report, which is the outcome of a study on telecoms industry performance, carried out by Ookla, a global leader in network intelligence and connectivity insights, shows that Southern and Central corridors such as Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, enjoy robust signal in major road network coverage, while the Northern corridors face significantly sparse coverage.

According to the report, T2 leads the technical compliance on major road network connectivity, outperforming larger legacy carriers in keeping signals strictly within technical standards along highways (trunk roads).

The feat achieved by T2, is sequel to the roaming service agreement it signed with MTN, which allows T2 subscribers to roam on MTN network and have access to network signal in every location that is covered by MTN network.

The report, which covered and analysed a total of 292,000 km of primary, secondary and trunk roads across Nigeria, shows that 326 km of primary roads in Nigeria, representing 0.27 per cent, do not have network service from any of the operators, while there are much lower gaps of 0.6 per cent in secondary and trunk roads, indicating that major roads are generally covered, but feeder roads face dead zones. The report explained that major highways are well connected with network signals, but deeper primary routes still carry a risk of total network disconnection.

According to the report, MTN covers 14,955.08 km of primary roads, 17,702.95 km of secondary roads and 10,265.99 km of trunk roads, totaling 42,924.02 km of road coverage in Nigeria.

Airtel covers 14,066.00 km of primary roads, 16,115.13 km of secondary roads and 10,041.26 km of trunk roads, totaling 40,222.39 km of road coverage in Nigeria.

Globacom covers 9,336.83 km of primary roads, 10,608.64 km of secondary roads and 7,569.53 km of trunk roads, totaling 27,515.01 km of road coverage in Nigeria.

T2 covers 1,231.84 km of primary roads, 1,530.40 km of secondary roads and 1,292.06 km of trunk roads, totaling 4,054.30 km of road coverage in Nigeria.

The report classified trunk roads as highways that connect cities, and primary roads as major roads inside cities, while secondary roads are rural or feeder roads.

Giving the technology strength of road networks, the report said 5G technology delivered the strongest signal of between -96 to -98 dBm on roads, but with limited reach, which means 5G network performs best on highways for video streaming and downloads, but has limited coverage areas on the highways. But 4G remains the most balanced technology on roads with 97 per cent quality compliance, and high reliability for streaming on the move. 3G remains critical for reach, providing a fallback in rural areas, where 4G fades, despite its low speed.

The report further said secondary roads have the highest technical compliance level of 85.7 per cent, likely due to proximity to populated towns, while trunk roads have the lowest technical compliance level of 79.1 per cent.

From the report, 4G-enabled phone is essential for consumers on the move, while 3G technology is a fallback, but 4G technology offers 97 per cent better signal quality to keep telecoms subscribers connected at highway speeds.

NCC therefore advised telecoms operators to fill the primary gaps, as targeted deployment is needed to close the 326 km zero service gap on primary roads. NCC also advised that operators on the need to densify sites along trunk roads in other to support seamless handovers for vehicles moving at high speed.     

Commenting, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said: “The reports enable NCC to track progress, identify gaps, and guide targeted regulatory interventions. The data shows clear and steady improvements in network quality, particularly in median download speeds across both urban and rural areas, especially when compared to Q3 performance. Notably, the video Quality of Experience (QoE) gap between urban and rural areas has narrowed, and the strength of our 4G backbone continues to improve.”

He further said: “The industry is not without challenges, as reflected in gaps in 5G services and inequalities in upload speeds highlighted in the reports. However, we are actively engaging with operators to address these issues, including gaps in mobile service coverage. In 2025, over $1 billion in industry investment resulted in the deployment of more than 2,850 new sites to expand both coverage and capacity nationwide. Much of the progress reflected in today’s reports is a direct outcome of these investments. We have secured commitments from operators to exceed their 2025 investment levels in 2026, with infrastructure investments continuing in earnest.”