If you are in search of unlimited WiFi Internet In Nigeria, you do not have a lot of options to pick from, as there are only a few ISPs that have dared venture into that. As a matter of fact, at the time of writing this article in July 2020, there are basically only three providers to pick from. PS: I have updated this article in 2024 to include Airtel’s Unlimited data.
The contenders are Airtel, Smile, ntel, and Spectranet. If you want unlimited WiFi Internet in Nigeria, you will have to deal with one of these four (4) wireless providers. There is a fourth, and I shall mention it as a bonus, though you won’t find it much of a bonus if you venture in its direction. Let’s look at what the three main providers of unlimited Internet in Nigeria have to offer.
Table of Contents
Smile Unlimited Data Plans
Smile Communications is a 4G wireless carrier and one of the first to provide unlimited Internet in Nigeria. Months ago, Smile Communications attempted something no other wireless carrier in Nigeria had attempted – truly unlimited data plans without throttling. Sadly, they soon backtracked on that and implemented speed breaks in their four (4) unlimited data plans, as follows:
- UnlimitedPlatinum plan
- 30 days validity
- Speeds of up to 6Mbps
- ₦24,000 monthly
- Daily FUP of 10GB.
- Speed throttled to max of to 512kbps after crossing FUP threshold
- UnlimitedPremium plan
- 30 days validity
- Speeds of up to 3Mbps
- ₦20,000 monthly
- Daily FUP of 6G.
- Speed throttled to max of to 512kbps after crossing FUP threshold
- UnlimitedEssential plan
- 30 days validity
- Speeds of up to 8Mbps
- ₦15,000 monthly
- Monthly FUP of 70GB.
- Speed throttled to max of to 512kbps after crossing FUP threshold
- UnlimitedLite plan
- 30 days validity
- Speeds of up to 8Mbps
- ₦10,000 monthly
- Monthly FUP of 35GB.
- Speed throttled to max of to 512kbps after crossing FUP threshold
I find the speed caps on Smile’s unlimited WiFi data plans annoying and a turn-off. 6Mbps and 8Mbps maximum speeds on a 4G LTE network? What is the point? The flip side is that Smile Communications offers four (4) different unlimited Internet plans that cater to your budget.
All of them have a Fair Usage Policy applying: when you use up to a certain amount of data, your connection is slowed down to 512 kbps. In practice, it is an annoying limitation that often means your Internet connection becomes completely unusable. So, if you ever cross the FUP threshold before expiration of your validity, just go renew your subscription.
This 512 kbps FUP speed is the bane of unlimited Internet in Nigeria. All the others too are dying on that hill. Or valley.
What of coverage? Smile has the widest coverage of the three. Its services are available in eight (8) cities across Nigeria, namely: Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja, Benin City, Kaduna, Onitsha, and Asaba.
ntel Unlimited Data Plans
ntel has three (3) unlimited WiFi Internet plans – one daily, another weekly, and the third a monthly plan. This gives subscribers the flexbility to work with their budgets and time-based needs.
- Unlimited Monthly
- 30 days validity
- No speed caps until FUP threshold
- ₦18,500 monthly
- Monthly FUP of 150GB.
- Speed throttled to max of to 512kbps after crossing FUP threshold
- Unlimited Weekly
- 7 days validity
- No speed caps until FUP threshold
- ₦5,200 monthly
- Weekly FUP of 40GB.
- Speed throttled to max of to 512kbps after crossing FUP threshold
- Unlimited Daily
- 2 days validity
- No speed caps until FUP threshold
- ₦1,500 monthly
- Monthly FUP of 10GB.
- Speed throttled to max of to 512kbps after crossing FUP threshold
If you cross the Fair Use Policy (FUP) threshold of any of the above ntel unlimited data plans, your speed is throttled down to a maximum of 512kbps. It might be god enough for chatting and for email, but anything beyond those basic services will literaly drive you nuts.
In terms of coverage, ntel is present in three (3) cities: Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
Spectranet Unlimited Data
Spectranet has only one unlimited data plan.
- Spectranet Unlimited Gold Plan
- 30 days validity
- No speed caps until FUP threshold
- ₦18,000 monthly
- Monthly FUP of 100GB.
- Speed throttled to max of to 512kbps after crossing FUP threshold
The odd thing about unlimited WiFi Internet on Spectranet is that you can only get access to it AFTER you have signed up as a Spectranet customer and subscribed to any of the other capped plans. You can then migrate to the Unlimited Gold Plan. I am not sure what is the rationale behind this, but it is what it is. You will not find the Unlimited Gold plan listed for purchase on the Spectranet website.
That odd policy of hiding their Unlimited Gold Plan from you until you have subscribed to their service still clouds my head.
Spectranet has fair coverage as well, being present in Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, and Port Harcourt. However, the Unlimited Gold Plan was initially available only for customers in Lagos and Ibadan at launch in 2016. I do not have details on availability at this time.
Bonus Unlimited Internet In Nigeria
One more wireless service provider witrh unlimited WiFi Internet in Nigeria is Wifi.com.ng (Tizeti). Tizeti’s offering is actually the most mouth watering. The compoany says that they provide “different UNLIMITED plans with no data cap, no usage threshold and no limited on number of devices that can be connected”. That is fantastic.
Here are the available unlimited plans from Tizeti.
- Residential Unlimited
- 30 days validity
- No speed caps at all
- ₦12,500 monthly
- No FUP
- No throttling
- One-time Setup Fee of ₦37,000
- Residential Pro
- 180 days validity
- No speed caps at all
- ₦75,500 for 6 months
- No FUP
- No throttling
- One-time Setup Fee of ₦37,000
- Residential Yearly
- 12 months validity
- No speed caps at all
- ₦150,000 monthly
- No FUP
- No throttling
- One-time Setup Fee of ₦37,000
So, what are the issues with Tizeti? One: I am wary of any wireless Internet service that requires a setup investment. Usually, you are trapped and stuck with them should their service not meet up to expectations. Ntel, Smile and Spectranet are SIM card based services, so you can buy a SIM card and use any compatible router, mifi, tablet, or smartphone that you already own.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, in all the years that I have studied and researched on wireless Internet providers in Nigeria, there is not one person who has used Tizeti that I have spoken to that has any positive feedvback about their quality of service. The consistent refrain is that the quality of service is poor and the connection mostly unreliable. It is my educated guess that this is a fallout of Tizeti’s generous policiy of no Fair Usage Policy and no throttling. Bummer.
It is a case of a good thing turning sour. Wireless networks use throttling to preserve the integrity of their networks, as well as maintain good quality of service for all subscribers. I do not mind FUP throttling, I just wish that Smile, ntel, and Spectranet would not peg it to a useless speed like 512 kbps.
Perhaps Tizeti can implement a reasonable FUP throttling of 1Mbps. That is a usable speed and would also help improve the quality of their Internet service. Maybe even 2Mbps. Why not?
As for coverage, Tizeti’s Wifi.com.ng is available only in Lagos.
Airtel Unlimited 20
Airtel recently introduced unlimited data plans, with no data caps or FUP. The most affordable of these is the Airtel Unlimited 20 plan, and here are the features:
- Airtel Unlimited 20
- 30 days validity
- No data cap/FUP threshold
- ₦20,000 monthly
- Speed cap of 20 Mbps
- Requires purchase of an Airtel router.
The Airtel Unlimited 20 plan is a serious game changer in the market. It is faster than what most others offer and has much wider coverage, too. And the price isn’t bad. Everybody else servicing this segment of the market else has to sit up or lose out. Do read up more about the Airtel Unlimited 20 plan.
Which Is The Best Unlimited WiFi Internet In Nigeria?
It has been a long read. And it is time to answer the question, Which is the best unlimited WiFi Internet in Nigeria? With Airtel entering the unlimited data market, the Airtel Unlimited 20 plan gets my vote ss the best unlimited Internet in Nigeria as at 2024. As far as I can tell at this time, my choice is ntel. Smile’s speed caps are painful, though the company has the widest coverage and the largest number of unlimited plans to choose from.
Airtel’s unlimited WiFi offer has no data cap and gives you one of the best Internet speed you will get from an unlimited data service in the country.
The thing though is that “best” can often be a subjective thing. Which is why I have taken the time to show you all the companies offering unlimited Internet in Nigeria, their different plans, tariffs, features, and limitations. That way, you can make your choice. You can experiment to see which works for you.
Which would you pick as the best unlimited Internet in Nigeria – Airtel, Smile, ntel, Spectranet, or Tizeti?
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