Nigeria has ranked 120th out of 137 countries in terms of mobile network excellence and qualitative offerings. This is according to the latest Global Network Excellence Index, compiled by mobile analytics company, Opensignal.

The index, according to Opensignal, is based on direct measurements of user experience, evaluating countries across three core pillars: 4G/5G availability, how consistently networks support demanding applications, as well as 4G and 5G download speeds.

It provides a country-level ranking and assessment of mobile infrastructure capabilities worldwide, evaluated as of the fourth quarter of 2024. The countries are segmented based on World Bank region, landmass size, and income level definitions and data.

Analysis of the data showed that 19 African countries are ahead of Nigeria in terms of mobile network excellence. While South Africa led the region and ranked 64th overall, its 4G/5G availability ranked 38, excellent consistent quality, 61; 4G download speed, 94 and 5G download speed, 64.

Compared to Nigeria, which ranked 120 overall (same as Mozambique and Tanzania), the country’s 4G/5G availability ranked 106; quality, 123; 4G download speed, 120, while no information on 5G speed.

Some of the 19 African countries ranked ahead of Nigeria include Morocco, 87th; Tunisia, 89; Madagascar, 93; Egypt, 95; Namibia, 97th; Kenya, 100; Zimbabwe, 101; Senegal, 105; Burkina Faso, 106; Algeria, 107th; Mali, 108 among others.

Globally, Denmark ranked first in terms of mobile network excellence. South Korea is second, Finland is third, Norway is fourth and the Netherlands is fifth.
Sweden, Taiwan, Iceland, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Estonia, USA, Lithuania, Singapore, Australia and Switzerland ranked respectively.

Providing insight into the analysis, Opensignal discovered that spectrum strategy is a competitive advantage, with markets that released large mid-band (3.5GHz) spectrum enjoying faster 5G speeds and higher capacity, while delayed or fragmented spectrum allocation risks slowing mobile network evolution.

It further found that countries with progressive digital strategies and regulatory reform programmes, including e-government, are higher performers. In the case of 4G/5G availability, Opensignal measures how often users connect to a modern network, revealing coverage gaps that impact productivity, education and essential services.

It noted that several key factors influence 4G/5G availability: network presence, device ecosystem and affordability, and market competition and policy frameworks.

Opensignal said: “While 4G and 5G access is expanding globally, gaps in network availability remain a major challenge, often resulting in customer churn and limiting access to essential services in rural and underserved regions. Bridging these gaps is critical for digital inclusion and economic development.”

On download speed, the research firm noted that download speed is a strong indicator of a network’s ability to support future demand, as it reflects both current performance and long-term investment in infrastructure.

“While 5G offers significant speed gains, strong 4G performance still plays a crucial role in network capacity, especially in markets where 5G adoption is still growing.

“Lower-income markets may have lower adoption of 5G-capable devices due to affordability constraints. High 4G speeds in these regions signal an uncongested network, indicating robust capacity that can be leveraged when 5G adoption scales up.

“Additionally, the spectrum currently allocated to 4G can later be reformed for 5G, benefiting from greater spectral efficiency and supporting faster speeds in the future.”