MTN Urges Consumers to Optimise Phone Settings to Reduce Data Depletion, Consumption

Africa’s telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria, has urged subscribers nationwide to adjust phone settings and monitor app usage to reduce  data consumption and depletion.

Its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in Nigeria, Karl Toriola, made the call at the company’s “Data on Trial” event at Transcorp Hotel in Abuja.

The event was organised to address consumers’ complaints about data consumption, data depletion and pricing, amongst others.

Toriola said the event was organised to enlighten consumers, connect with them, and be accountable to them on how its networks work, stressing that telecommunications operators incur costs for electricity, transportation, and other infrastructure needed to keep network sites running.

According to him, MTN spent about ₦4.05 trillion on power in the preceding year, highlighting the cost of operating telecommunications infrastructure in Nigeria.

“Even within the context of data being perceived as more expensive in Nigeria, the UK is the example I was giving.

“Please, understand that in this country, as well as some other African countries, we are providing power and transportation to all our sites.

“The cost of electricity, for instance, is higher here than in the UK,” he said.

Toriola said Nigerian operators used telecommunications equipment and technologies similar to those deployed in Europe and the United States, including fourth-generation (4G) and fifth-generation (5G) networks.

In his remarks, MTN’s General Manager, Network Performance and Quality Assurance, Mr Mike Ndukwe, said video streaming, social media use, automatic downloads, and background applications contributed to data consumption and depletion.

He explained that a 15-second TikTok video could consume between two megabytes (MB) and 20MB, depending on its resolution and the devices used.

He added that high-definition videos generally consume more data than standard-definition videos.

Ndukwe noted that 4G and 5G networks support higher-quality video streaming, which could increase data consumption when apps automatically select higher resolutions.

He said WhatsApp users could also consume more data through automatic media downloads, status updates, group chats and chat backups.

Ndukwe advised subscribers to disable automatic media downloads, restrict background data usage and download large files only when connected to Wi-Fi.

He also recommended enabling data-saving features on TikTok and other social media platforms, reducing video resolution and disabling automatic playback where available.

According to him, MTN provides tools through its MyMTN application that allow subscribers to monitor data usage and receive alerts.

The company also offers MTN FiberX as an unlimited data option for customers with high data requirements, subject to applicable terms and conditions.

Ndukwe said data depletion was generally linked to subscribers’ online activities and phone settings, urging users to understand how their applications consume data and take steps to manage their usage.

Earlier, Peter Akpatason, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Communications, said the initiative could improve public understanding of data consumption and address misconceptions about the telecommunications industry.

Akpatason acknowledged the huge investments required to operate telecommunications networks, but said more investment was needed to improve service quality.

He said the demonstration helped subscribers understand data consumption and identify ways to prevent avoidable depletion.