Data Depletion: MTN Attributes Fast Consumption to Background Apps, High-Quality Streaming

Post created on 4:15 pm

MTN Nigeria has attributed the rapid depletion of subscribers’ internet data bundles to high-resolution video streaming, background applications, automatic updates, and cloud synchronization, dismissing allegations that telecommunications operators intentionally deduct customer data.

​The telecommunications company explained that many users unknowingly consume large volumes of data through default device configurations and background processes that run continuously, even when users are not actively interacting with their devices.

​Speaking at a forum titled “Data on Trial,” held in Abuja on Monday on the sidelines of the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of Network Performance, Mike Ndukwe, emphasized that data depletion is driven entirely by subscriber activity, video resolution choices, and smartphone app settings.

​Ndukwe added that as network speeds transition to higher bandwidths such as 4G and 5G, applications automatically default to higher video quality and faster asset loading, which consumes significantly more megabytes per minute than on legacy networks.