MTN Nigeria has denied deliberately depleting subscribers’ internet data bundles, blaming high-resolution video streaming, automatic downloads, background applications and cloud backups for the rapid exhaustion of customers’ subscriptions.
The telecommunications company said many subscribers unknowingly consume large volumes 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, application settings 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,” Ndukwe said.
He explained that applications such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp could consume varying amounts of data depending on video quality, automatic playback, downloads and other settings.
According to him, a 15-second TikTok video could consume between two and 20 megabytes, depending on its quality, while high-definition streaming generally uses significantly more data than standard-definition viewing.
Ndukwe noted that although ordinary WhatsApp text messages consume relatively little data, status updates, videos, group conversations and automatic media downloads could 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,” he said.
He disclosed that WhatsApp had approximately 45 million users in Nigeria, while TikTok remained among the platforms generating substantial data traffic. He also cited figures indicating that data consumption had increased by about 43 per cent year-on-year.
To reduce unexpected data depletion, Ndukwe advised subscribers to disable automatic downloads, lower video-streaming quality, activate data-saving features and monitor their usage through the MyMTN application.
However, MTN’s explanation comes amid persistent concerns among subscribers over how quickly purchased data bundles disappear, with many users questioning whether their consumption records accurately reflect their actual internet activities.
The company’s General Manager of IT Operations, David Ogunsola, said discrepancies between data usage displayed on smartphones and figures recorded by telecommunications networks could arise 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,” Ogunsola said.
He explained that network technology primarily determined connection speed rather than the volume of data consumed, noting that video quality and application settings played a greater role in determining usage.
“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 added.
MTN Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, also defended the cost of providing telecommunications services, pointing to the high expenses associated with electricity, transportation, powering network sites and maintaining infrastructure.
Toriola said operators in Nigeria deployed equipment comparable to those used in Europe and the United States but faced higher operating costs, particularly in providing power to telecommunications facilities.
“Please understand that this country, as well as a few other African countries, we are providing power and transportation to all of our sites,” he said.
He added that MTN was intensifying consumer education to help subscribers understand how their devices and applications use data.
The Northwest Sales Manager of Xiaomi Nigeria, Kevin Kojode, also 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, Kojode explained that background updates, cloud backups and operating-system activities could consume data without users consciously initiating downloads.
He advised smartphone users to restrict automatic updates to Wi-Fi connections, set data limits, monitor hotspot connections and reduce streaming quality.
Kojode also encouraged subscribers to use built-in smartphone tools to track data consumption and control data sharing.
While MTN and Xiaomi maintain that device settings and online habits account for much of the unexpected depletion, the explanations underscore the importance of transparent, verifiable usage records that allow customers to reconcile their subscriptions with actual consumption.
For subscribers seeking clarity, the key issue is not only how smartphones consume data but also whether customers can easily access sufficiently detailed records to understand when, where and how their bundles are being used.
