FiberOne Targets 1 Million Subscribers in Five Years

Nigerian fibre broadband provider FiberOne is targeting one million subscribers within five years, setting an aggressive expansion goal as demand for reliable internet grows and operators contend with the high cost of building and maintaining networks across Africa’s most populous country. The Lagos-based internet service provider currently has more than 40,000 subscribers, according to Chief Executive Officer Lanre Ore, who said that the company plans to use the growing demand for high-speed connectivity to expand its reach across Nigeria. “Despite the challenges, there are significant gaps to be solved, a young and ambitious population, and enormous room for innovation,” Ore said in a LinkedIn post, disclosing that he made the remarks in an interview with PENRESA for an upcoming TIME Africa special on Nigeria. The ISP’s target would represent more than 20-fold growth from its current customer base, putting pressure on the company to substantially expand its fibre network, increase network capacity and attract customers beyond its existing markets. The company has not disclosed how much capital it would need to reach one million subscribers, how much fibre it plans to deploy or whether it intends to raise external financing to fund the expansion. The ambition comes as Nigeria’s fragmented internet service provider market becomes increasingly concentrated. Active ISP subscriptions stood at 352,006 at the end of 2025, with FiberOne, Starlink and Spectranet accounting for almost 70 per cent of the market, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission. FiberOne had 44,413 subscribers at the time. That market has also faced pressure from rising bandwidth, energy and right-of-way costs, while mobile operators and satellite providers have increased competition for households and businesses seeking alternatives to traditional fixed broadband. FiberOne has previously said that it was expanding its fibre footprint beyond its established markets. In 2025, Ore told The PUNCH that the company planned to take its high-speed fibre services to 15 states, targeting underserved areas as it sought to benefit from growing demand for fixed connectivity. The telecom executive noted that FiberOne’s enterprise infrastructure is also evolving to accommodate businesses that require large amounts of bandwidth, including artificial-intelligence and fintech companies. “We discussed the growing demand for reliable broadband and how our enterprise infrastructure is evolving to support the next generation of high-bandwidth businesses, including AI and fintech startups that are building the future from Africa,” he said. The shift could provide fibre operators with a growing source of enterprise demand as companies increasingly depend on cloud computing, digital payments, data-intensive applications and artificial intelligence. For FiberOne, the enterprise market could also help diversify a business that has traditionally been associated with residential fibre-to-the-home services. Nigeria, Africa’s largest telecom market, has a large but unevenly connected population, leaving substantial room for fixed broadband providers to expand. Ore said that the company sees the country’s young population and gaps in connectivity as an opportunity despite the operating challenges. Related News Telcos owe 25-year growth to workers’ sacrifice — ATCON Legend Internet swings to loss as expenses surge Experts task youths on tech-driven creative careers The biggest challenge to FiberOne’s target may be the economics of fibre deployment. Unlike mobile services, fibre broadband requires operators to build physical networks close to customers. That means spending heavily on ducts, cables, equipment, maintenance and access to roads and other rights of way before revenue from subscribers is fully realised. Ore had earlier raised concerns over the financial pressures on fibre operators, noting that multiple taxes and right-of-way fees increase operating costs and hinder network expansion. The company is also seeking partnerships across Africa, Ore said, as it attempts to expand its role beyond providing household internet connections. According to Ore, FiberOne has already laid more than 3,900 kilometres of fibre, highlighting the scale of infrastructure required to extend fixed broadband coverage. The company’s growth ambitions come against a backdrop of intense competition. Starlink has expanded rapidly in Nigeria’s ISP market, while larger telecom operators such as MTN and Airtel have continued to invest in fibre and 5G networks. That leaves independent fibre operators competing on speed, reliability, price and service quality while trying to recover the cost of network deployment. Ore said that FiberOne is seeking to maintain affordable rates even as operating costs rise. “We also spoke about our partnerships across Africa and how we maintain quality of service and affordable rates despite rising operating costs,” the executive stated. Its reported subscriber base has since recovered to more than 40,000, according to Ore, but reaching one million would require a fundamentally larger operation. The company would need to expand its network into new neighbourhoods and cities, keep prices competitive, reduce customer churn and maintain service reliability as the number of connected households and businesses increases. For Nigeria’s broadband market, such an expansion would also be significant. Fixed internet remains a relatively small segment of the country’s overall connectivity market, with mobile networks accounting for the vast majority of internet users. For Ore, the longer-term opportunity extends beyond selling internet access. “The future is connected, and we are excited to be building our part of it.” Justice Okamgba Justice has over three years experience spanning digital and print media. At The PUNCH, he currently covers the automobile sector with special interest in features and industry analysis.