‘There is nowhere in the world with truly unlimited mobile data’, MTN CEO says as Nigerians complain about rising data costs

• MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola says there is no truly unlimited mobile data service anywhere in the world.

• He says mobile networks operate with limited capacity and shared resources.

• The company maintains that Nigerian mobile data remains among the most affordable globally.

• The comments come amid growing public complaints about rising data costs and data depletion.

As complaints over rising data costs and rapid data depletion continue to mount among Nigerian subscribers, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, has said there is no truly unlimited mobile data service anywhere in the world.

Toriola made the remark during MTN's “Data on Trial” stakeholder engagement in Lagos, where the telecom giant addressed concerns about data pricing, network quality, and the rate at which subscribers consume their data bundles.

According to him, mobile networks across the world operate with limited capacity, making truly unlimited mobile data impractical.

“There is nowhere in the world where there is unlimited data,” Toriola said, explaining that all mobile operators must manage finite network resources shared by millions of users.

His comments come at a time when many Nigerians have expressed frustration over the cost of internet access and the speed at which data subscriptions appear to be exhausted.

In recent months, social media has been flooded with complaints from users who argue that telecom companies have increased prices while offering less value. Some subscribers have also questioned whether data is being consumed faster than before.

Responding to the concerns, Toriola said modern internet usage consumes significantly more data than many people realize.

He pointed to the growing popularity of video streaming, automatic app updates, cloud backups, high-definition video content, and social media platforms that automatically play videos in the background.

According to the MTN boss, these activities often continue even when users are not actively using their devices, leading to higher data consumption.

Toriola also defended Nigeria's data pricing, arguing that mobile internet in the country remains among the most affordable globally.

He urged critics to compare Nigeria's data prices with those in other African countries and international markets before concluding that local telecom operators are overcharging subscribers.

The MTN CEO further explained that while some telecom providers around the world advertise "unlimited" plans, such packages often come with restrictions hidden in fair usage policies.

These restrictions may include speed reductions after a user reaches a certain data threshold or other network management measures designed to prevent a small number of heavy users from overwhelming the system.

He added that genuinely unlimited internet access is more feasible through fixed broadband services such as fibre-optic connections, which have significantly greater capacity than mobile networks.

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The remarks have sparked fresh debate among Nigerians, with some agreeing that increasing internet usage habits contribute to faster data consumption, while others insist that telecom operators should improve transparency and provide better value for money.

The discussion comes as demand for affordable internet access continues to grow across the country, with millions relying on mobile data for work, education, entertainment, and communication.