So the other day, I was discussing with my younger brother who was going back to University after his “long vac” and we came to the subject of internet providers in Nigeria. He was sick and tired of using his mobile phone to search for, and access articles on the internet for his project. I thought – why not get one of these mobile internet dongles? You do your research in the “comfort” of a laptop, and you’re not tied down to a building/land phone.
Thus, we decided to compare internet mobile broadband providers, and here’s what we found. We found out that there are 4 major competing service providers (who advertise effectively, and provide sufficient information on their websites.
| Etisalat Easyblaze | MTN FastLink | Glo Net Pro | Starcomms iZAP | |
| Technology | HSPA+ | HSDPA | HSDPA | CDMA Wireless |
| Top Speed | 42 Mbps | 3.6 Mbps | 3.6Mps | 2.4Mps |
| Share connection? | Yes – (With a MiFi router) | Yes – (With MiFi router) | No information available yet | No information available yet |
| Payment plans | Pre-paid & Post-paid | Pre-paid | Pre-paid | Monthly Subscription |
| Lowest Plan | N1600 (200MB) – No time limit | N500 (150MB) – 24 hours access | N500 (150MB) – No time limit. | N6,500 (Purple 100 hours) – 24hour access, valid for 30 days |
| Modem cost | From N5,500 | N5,500 | N5,000 | N12,999 – USB modem + purple 100 hours tariff. |
How about some customer feedback? Here’s what Mr P found…
Best experiences
| Easyblaze |  |
| Fastlink |  |
| Glo NetPro |  |
| iZAP |  |
Best criticisms
| Easyblaze |  |
| Fastlink |  |
| Glo NetPro |  |
| iZAP |  |
So have you used any of these services? Was your experience any different from that of any of the customers featured above? In the next post, Mr P will be getting the magnifying glass out, and putting the price plans under scrutiny!
