MTN Nigeria has explained the factors responsible for what many subscribers perceive as rapid data depletion on their mobile devices, while reaffirming its commitment to improving service delivery through increased investment in telecommunications infrastructure.

The telecoms operator provided the clarification during a public customer engagement forum in Lagos tagged “Data On Trial” (DOT), an initiative designed to address consumer concerns about data usage and service quality.

Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, encouraged participants representing different subscriber groups to openly express their concerns and ask questions about their experiences with data consumption and network performance.

One of the participants, Timi Agbaje, questioned why data appeared to deplete quickly on the MTN network and sought clarification on how the company had handled such complaints from customers over the past year.

Responding to the concerns, members of MTN’s technical team explained that the company had, on several occasions, invited subscribers to its Lagos operations centre to gain firsthand insight into how data is consumed and monitored on the network.

According to the team, MTN maintains transparency in its data services and has no interest in deliberately reducing customers’ data balances for profit. They noted that factors such as background application activity, automatic updates, video streaming quality, cloud synchronisation and device settings often contribute significantly to data usage.

The company also assured customers that it would continue investing in network expansion and infrastructure upgrades aimed at improving service quality and delivering a more reliable and seamless user experience across the country.