MTN Nigeria has attributed the rapid depletion of internet data bundles to high-resolution video streaming, automatic downloads, background applications, cloud backups and other online activities, denying allegations that telecommunications operators deliberately deduct subscribers’ data.
The company said many smartphone users unknowingly consume large amounts of data through applications and device settings that continue running even when they are not actively using their phones.
Speaking at a forum titled “Data on Trial” in Abuja on Monday, on the sidelines of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of Network Performance, Mike Ndukwe, said data consumption largely depends on users’ online activities and smartphone configurations.
“We’re not stealing your data. However, we completely understand how it feels, especially right now, where every amount counts. But the honest answer is that data is not taken without an action, either your action or your phone,” he said.
Ndukwe explained that applications such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp consume different amounts of data depending on video quality, automatic playback and download settings.
According to him, watching a 15-second TikTok video could consume between two and 20 megabytes, depending on its resolution, while high-definition streaming uses significantly more data than standard-definition viewing.
He noted that although ordinary WhatsApp text messages consume relatively little data, videos, status updates, group messages and automatic media downloads could quickly exhaust subscribers’ bundles.
Ndukwe specifically advised users to disable automatic downloads where unnecessary, explaining that WhatsApp settings could cause media files to consume data without subscribers deliberately downloading them.
He also disclosed that WhatsApp had approximately 45 million users in Nigeria, while TikTok remained among the platforms generating significant data traffic.
The MTN official cited figures indicating that data consumption had increased by about 43 per cent year-on-year, reflecting growing internet usage.
He urged subscribers to reduce video streaming quality, activate data-saving features, disable automatic downloads and monitor their usage through the MyMTN application.
Also speaking, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of IT Operations, David Ogunsola, explained that discrepancies between data consumption displayed on smartphones and figures recorded by telecommunications networks could result from differences in measurement methods, background traffic and the timing of data sessions.
“The data that you measure on your devices is slightly different from what traverses over the network and what’s on the charge,” he said.
Ogunsola stated that variations in measurement and rounding could account for differences ranging from two per cent to approximately 12 per cent in some circumstances.
He further explained that network technology, such as 3G or 4G, primarily affects connection speed, while application settings and video quality determine how much data users consume.
MTN Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, meanwhile, defended the cost of providing telecommunications services, citing electricity expenses and the cost of powering and maintaining network infrastructure across the country.
He said Nigerian telecommunications operators use equipment comparable to that deployed in Europe and the United States but face higher operating costs, particularly in providing electricity to network sites.
Toriola added that MTN was intensifying consumer education to help subscribers understand their smartphone settings and manage internet consumption more effectively.
Similarly, Xiaomi Nigeria’s Northwest Sales Manager, Kevin Kojode, identified automatic software updates, cloud synchronisation, background applications and unrestricted hotspot connections as other factors responsible for unexpected data depletion.
“Today, users don’t just go online, they stay online,” Kojode said.
Using a one-gigabyte subscription as an example, he explained that background updates, cloud backups and operating-system activities could consume data without users consciously initiating downloads.
Kojode advised subscribers to restrict automatic software updates to Wi-Fi connections, activate data limits, monitor devices connected to their hotspots and reduce video streaming quality.
He also highlighted smartphone features that enable users to track data consumption and control internet sharing, noting that greater awareness of device settings could help Nigerians manage their subscriptions and avoid unexpected depletion.