Page 72 - SAMENA Trends - April-May 2021

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

UAE Ranks First in The World for Mobile Network Speeds

The UAE leads a global mobile on a monthly basis. Data for the
index as the country with the index comes from the hundreds
fastest mobile network speed of millions of tests taken by real
in the first quarter of 2021, people using the speed test every
according to the latest data from month. Mobile network speed
Ookla, a global leader in fixed is a major contributing factor
broadband and mobile network to the well-being, economic
testing applications, data wealth and social prosperity of
and analysis. This significant a nation. This achievement has
achievement adds one more a lot of favorable implications
feather to the UAE’s cap, and for a enabling environment for
comes at an opportune time with future aspirations, country’s
the recent declaration of 2021 as ICT agenda, productivity of
"Year of the 50th" as the nation businesses, amongst others.
celebrates its milestone Golden Etisalat is proud to contribute
Jubilee. With a download speed to the UAE ranking first in
of 178.52 Mbps in March, the terms of mobile network speed.
country overtook South Korea This is yet another milestone
and Qatar in the mobile broad achievement for the UAE, the
speedtest. The UAE also overtook Telecommunications and Digital
both countries in January and Government Regulatory Authority
February, with download speeds as well as Etisalat’s testament
of 183.03 Mbps and 177.10 Mbps, to its relentless efforts towards
respectively. The Speed Test its strategy and vision to ‘Drive
Global index, which assesses over the digital future to empower world's fastest mobile network, Etisalat is uplifting the
135 countries, compares internet societies’. As the country's national performance, enabling the ICT aspirations of the
speed data from around the world leading mobile operator and country’s leadership.

Morocco Ranks 45th Globally for Cheapest Mobile Internet

Morocco’s mobile internet is one of the the continent and 30th in the world, while [US].” As for the most expensive, the study
cheapest in Africa, and in general, in Egypt and Tunisia fall behind, ranking 55th notes that “Sub-Saharan Africa is the most
the cheapest half of the global ranking. and 59th respectively. In both countries, expensive region in the world for mobile
According to Cable.co.uk, Morocco mobile data averages out at just above data generally, while island nations also
ranks 45th globally while on the African a dollar a gigabyte. Mauritania’s mobile tend to be among the most expensive.” As
continent, Morocco takes 10th place, if we data, which costs $5.56 (MAD 49.59) a such, the five most expensive countries, in
exclude the French overseas departments, gigabyte, places the country among the terms of the average cost of one gigabyte
Reunion and Mayotte. Going by the formal most expensive countries in Africa, as of mobile data, were Equatorial Guinea
ranking, globally, Morocco is 45th out of well as the world. It ranks 45th in Africa ($49.67/MAD 443.04), Falkland Islands
230 countries assessed, with a cost for a and 188th in the world. The study notes ($44.56/MAD 397.46), Saint Helena
gigabyte of mobile data averaging at $0.88 that “All but one of the seven North African ($39.87/MAD 355.62), Sao Tome and
(MAD 7.96). Algeria is the best performing countries are in the cheapest half of the Príncipe ($30.97/MAD 276.24) and Malawi
North African country when it comes to table… [The region] is the cheapest overall ($25.46/MAD 227.09). Worldwide, North
cheap mobile data. Morocco’s neighbor region in the world.” Mauritania is the only Africa is considered the cheapest region
enjoys the second cheapest mobile internet country in the region to exceed the global for mobile data, compared to Sub-Saharan
on the continent, and 16th cheapest average of USD 4.07 (MAD 36.30). Overall, Africa which is the most expensive region,
globally, with one gigabyte averaging at the cheapest data in the world is in Israel, including six out of the ten most expensive
$0.51 (MAD 4.55). As for other North African “With three-quarters of Israelis owning countries in the world. Equatorial Guinea
states, Libya’s mobile internet on average a smartphone, Israel boasts a higher has the most expensive mobile data in the
costs $0.74 (MAD 6.60), placing it fifth on smartphone market penetration than the world.

72 APRIL-MAY 2021