MTN Nigeria has urged subscribers to review their smartphone settings and internet usage habits, saying automatic downloads, background applications, high-resolution video streaming and cloud backups are among the major factors responsible for the rapid depletion of data bundles.
The telecommunications company said many subscribers unknowingly consume significant amounts of data through smartphone settings and applications that continue running even when they are not actively browsing.
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.
Ndukwe explained that applications such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp consumed varying amounts of data depending on video quality, autoplay settings and the frequency of downloads.
According to him, watching a 15-second TikTok video could consume between two and 20 megabytes, depending on its resolution, while high-definition streaming used significantly more data than standard-definition viewing.
He said text messages on WhatsApp generally consumed little data, but status updates, videos, group chats 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,” Ndukwe said.
He disclosed that WhatsApp had approximately 45 million users in Nigeria, while TikTok was among the platforms generating substantial data traffic.
Ndukwe also cited figures indicating that data consumption had increased by approximately 43 per cent year-on-year.
He advised subscribers to disable automatic downloads, lower streaming resolution, activate data-saving features and monitor their usage through the MyMTN application.
Why phone and network data figures may differ
Also speaking at the forum, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of IT Operations, David Ogunsola, said discrepancies between data consumption figures displayed on smartphones and those 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,” he said.
Ogunsola explained that differences in measurement and rounding could result in discrepancies 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.
MTN CEO defends cost of internet services
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, defended the cost of providing telecommunications services, citing electricity expenses and the costs of powering and maintaining network sites.
“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.
Toriola maintained that Nigerian operators deployed equipment comparable to that used in Europe and the United States but faced higher operating costs, particularly for electricity.
He said MTN was stepping up consumer education to help subscribers understand their smartphone settings and manage their internet usage more effectively.
Xiaomi identifies other causes of data depletion
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, he explained how background updates, cloud backups and operating-system activities could consume data without users deliberately initiating downloads.
He advised subscribers to restrict automatic updates to Wi-Fi connections, set data limits, monitor hotspot connections and reduce streaming quality.
Kojode also highlighted smartphone features that allow users to track data consumption and restrict data sharing, saying a better understanding of device settings could help Nigerians manage their subscriptions and reduce unexpected depletion.
