Fibre Cuts Threaten 8,526 Network Expansion Gains, NCC Warns

Nigeria’s telecommunications sector has recorded significant progress in network expansion, with operators deploying 8,526 of the 12,179 additional coverage and capacity sites committed nationwide.

However, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned that persistent damage to fibre-optic infrastructure could undermine the gains, with fibre cuts contributing to a sharp increase in network disruptions recorded in June.

The development was disclosed by the NCC following its 110th Board meeting held on September 9, 2026, where the commission reviewed developments in the telecommunications industry, including network resilience, service reliability and infrastructure protection.

According to the commission, the 8,526 sites represent approximately 70 per cent of operators’ commitments, a substantial increase from the roughly 5,000 sites reported at its previous board meeting.

The latest figure means operators have deployed about 3,500 additional sites since the previous assessment, indicating an accelerated rollout of infrastructure aimed at expanding coverage, increasing network capacity and improving subscribers’ quality of experience.

Despite the progress, the NCC said the continued destruction of fibre infrastructure remains a major threat to service reliability, warning that expanding network infrastructure would have limited impact if the underlying transmission infrastructure connecting the sites remains vulnerable.

The regulator had, in August, disclosed that more than 5,000 fibre-cut incidents were recorded across the country in the first six months of 2026, with road construction, excavation and other civil works identified as major causes.

The NCC has consequently been pushing for stronger coordination between telecommunications operators, road contractors, engineers and government agencies to prevent damage to fibre routes during construction and other excavation activities.

At a stakeholder workshop in Abuja in August, NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, said telecommunications infrastructure had become critical to banking, public services, education, healthcare, commerce, security and emergency communications.

He stressed that the country could not afford to expand physical infrastructure at the expense of the digital infrastructure supporting the economy, noting that a damaged fibre cable could translate into failed calls, disrupted payments and interrupted services.

The commission has also linked the protection of telecom infrastructure to national security, with the Permanent Secretaries of the Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy establishing a standing committee on the protection of fibre-optic cables. Representatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser have also been brought into the committee because of the critical nature of telecommunications infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the latest board meeting also reviewed measures to strengthen digital trust, security, consumer protection and competition in the telecommunications ecosystem. The NCC said its Device Management System is now operational, supporting technology-enabled compliance with type-approval requirements.

The latest network rollout represents a major improvement from the more than 5,000 sites completed by operators earlier in the year, when the NCC said the industry had crossed the 40 per cent implementation mark on the over 12,000-site commitment.

The challenge now, however, is ensuring that the new capacity translates into dependable services for consumers. With thousands of fibre routes exposed to damage from construction, excavation and vandalism, the regulator’s latest position underscores the need for infrastructure expansion to go hand in hand with stronger protection of the networks carrying voice and data traffic across the country.