The Lagos State Government has given five major telecom operators 48 hours to rectify sagging overhead fibre-optic cables in Ikeja GRA or face regulatory penalties, under an official notice issued on Monday evening by the Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA).

The directive names MTN, Airtel, ipNX, FibreOne, and 21st Century Technologies, ordering the affected firms to inspect, tighten, and properly secure their overhead fibre infrastructure.

“Consequently, IPNX, FibreOne, 21st Century, Airtel and MTN are hereby directed to take immediate corrective action by inspecting, securing and rectifying all identified sagging fibre-optic cables within 48 hours of receipt of this notice, subject to any applicable regulatory requirements,” part of the statement reads.

In a notice posted on its official X account, LASIMRA said the action follows a routine inspection and enforcement patrol conducted in Ikeja GRA on October 13, 2026, during which sagging aerial fibre cables were identified.

The ultimatum comes after repeated complaints from residents over the uncoordinated manner in which telecom operators deploy overhead fibre-opt cables. As operators race to expand fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) connections to boost high-speed internet coverage, poorly deployed cables frequently hang low enough to catch delivery trucks, dangle across footpaths, or create dangerous visual obstructions for drivers — leading to accidents and network outages.

The notice is expected to lapse by Wednesday evening, and the agency has made clear that operators who fail to comply will face sanctions.

“Failure by any of the named providers to comply with this directive within the stipulated time frame will attract appropriate regulatory penalties and further enforcement action in accordance with applicable laws and LASIMRA regulations,” the agency warned.

Operators are also required to submit proof of completion of the corrective measures directly to the agency once the repairs are finished. With the deadline lapsing on Wednesday evening, those submissions — and any penalties imposed on operators that fall short — are the immediate points to watch. LASIMRA said the enforcement forms part of its ongoing campaign to ensure a safer, cleaner, and well-regulated Lagos.

Fibre Build-Out and 5G Capacity

The enforcement action comes at a time when telecom operators are expanding last-mile fibre infrastructure to homes, offices, and commercial hubs through wired connections such as fibre to the X (FTTX) and FTTH. The push reflects rising data consumption by Nigerians and the corresponding demand for high-speed networks, as reliance on mobile networks (4G/5G) creates capacity bottlenecks. Expanding fixed fibre lines frees up spectrum on mobile networks and offloads traffic such as streaming, large file downloads and uploads, 4K video, cloud computing, and heavy remote work onto dedicated networks.

Amid the increase in fibre-optic cable deployment, industry data showed that the FTTX subscriber base for Q2 2026 stood at 319,735, a 29% increase from 241,750 in Q1 2026. MTN FiberX has been a significant driver of the FTTX trend, holding 176,468 subscribers — more than half of the national total — and to expand across Nigeria’s top cities. That places MTN, the segment’s largest provider, among the five operators named in the LASIMRA notice.

Despite approaching 320,000 subscribers, FTTX remains a small fraction of Nigeria’s 158 million total internet subscriptions — a gap that underscores how largely unpenetrated the market remains for fibre lines and offers a clear picture of the affordability constraints facing internet subscribers.

Source: TechNext24