Like MTN, Airtel increases data prices

Airtel Nigeria has increased its data prices, with the 18 gigabytes (GB) monthly plan that previously cost N5,000 now sold for N6,000.

The increase follows the recent approval by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which permitted telecommunications operators to raise their tariffs by up to 50 percent.

Findings by TheCable showed that Airtel increased the price for its 3GB data — valid for two days — from N800 to N1,000.

Some of the new daily plans now cost N50 for 40 megabytes (MB), N100 for 100MB, and N350 for 1GB.

The monthly plans now stand at N2,000 for 3GB, N2,500 for 4GB, N3,000 for 8GB, N4,000 for 10GB, N5,000 for 13GB, N6,000 for 18GB, and N8,000 for 25GB.

Airtel’s price increase comes seven days after MTN Nigeria raised its data prices.

In response to the tariff hikes, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) called on workers and the public to boycott the services of MTN, Airtel, and Glo for three hours daily, starting from February 12.

Although, Airtel and MTN have begun implementing new tariffs, but 9mobile and Glo’s data prices remain unchanged.

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) announced on February 2 that telcos would issue their tariffs differently as they file, review, and obtain approvals from the NCC.

On January 23, Wale Edun, minister of finance, said the tariff in the telecommunications sector would undergo periodic reviews.