MTN REJECTS DATA THEFT CLAIMS, BLAMES SMARTPHONE SETTINGS
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By ‘Balogun Ibrahim
MTN Nigeria has attributed the rapid depletion of subscribers’ internet data bundles to high-definition video streaming, automatic downloads, background applications, cloud backups and increased online activity, rejecting claims that telecommunications operators deliberately exhaust customers’ data.
The company said many subscribers unknowingly consume large amounts of data through smartphone settings and applications that continue running even when they are not actively using their devices.
Speaking at a forum titled “Data on Trial” in Abuja on Monday, held on the sidelines of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of Network Performance, Mike Ndukwe, said data consumption largely depended on users’ online activities and device 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.
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Ndukwe explained that applications such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp consumed varying amounts of data depending on video quality, autoplay settings and download frequency.
He noted that watching a 15-second TikTok video could consume between two and 20 megabytes, depending on its resolution, while high-definition streaming generally required significantly more data than standard-definition viewing.
According to him, WhatsApp text messages typically consume little data, but status updates, videos, group chats and automatic media downloads can quickly deplete subscribers’ bundles.
“If your WhatsApp is set on auto-download, straight away it hits your data bundle. And that is where you can optimise some of your settings,” Ndukwe said.
He disclosed that WhatsApp had approximately 45 million users in Nigeria, while TikTok remained among the platforms generating significant data traffic.
Ndukwe also cited figures indicating that data consumption had increased by approximately 43 per cent year-on-year.
He advised subscribers to turn off automatic downloads, lower video streaming quality, enable data-saving features and monitor their usage through the MyMTN application.
Also speaking at the forum, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of IT Operations, David Ogunsola, said differences between data consumption figures displayed on smartphones and those recorded by telecommunications networks could result from variations 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 explained that differences in measurement and rounding could account for variations ranging from two per cent to approximately 12 per cent in some circumstances.
He added that network technology primarily determined connection speed, while video quality and application settings influenced the volume of data consumed.
“The network type that you are on, whether it’s 3G or 4G, just like Mike also explained earlier, would determine not how much data you use, but how fast you’re able to do what it is that you want to do,” he said.
Meanwhile, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, defended the cost of providing internet services, citing electricity expenses and the costs of powering and maintaining telecommunications infrastructure.
“Please understand that this country, as well as a few other African countries, we are providing power and transportation to all of our sites,” Toriola said.
He maintained that Nigerian telecommunications operators deployed equipment comparable to those used in Europe and the United States but faced higher operating expenses, particularly for electricity.
Toriola added that the company was stepping up consumer education to help subscribers understand their smartphone settings and manage their internet usage more effectively.
The Northwest Sales Manager of Xiaomi Nigeria, Kevin Kojode, similarly attributed unexpected data depletion to automatic software updates, cloud synchronisation, background applications and unrestricted hotspot connections.
“Today, users don’t just go online, they stay online,” Kojode said.
Using a one-gigabyte subscription as an example, he explained how background updates, cloud backups and operating-system activities could consume data without users deliberately initiating downloads.
Kojode advised subscribers to restrict automatic updates to Wi-Fi connections, set data limits, monitor hotspot usage and reduce video streaming quality.
He also highlighted smartphone features that enable users to track data consumption and control data sharing, stressing that a better understanding of device settings could help Nigerians manage their internet subscriptions more efficiently.
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