By Jimmy
In the modern age of social media and digitalization, mobile data has almost become a prerequisite for daily living. Those who do not use it for work utilize it for entertainment, as a means of relaxation to briefly escape the stress of everyday life.
Therefore, mobile data must be affordable and easily accessible to all.
Internet comparison site Cable collected and analyzed data from 5,603 mobile data plans across 237 countries and territories to identify the countries with the cheapest mobile data in the world. The data was gathered between June to September 2023 and the average cost of one gigabyte (1GB) was calculated and compared to form an authoritative ranking.
Here are the countries with the cheapest mobile data in the world based on the cost per gigabyte.
10. Colombia
Colombia is the 10th country with the cheapest internet, with a GB costing $0.20. This South American country with insular regions in North America is rapidly advancing in terms of technology and internet connectivity.
With the introduction of satellite internet, Colombians now have access to a reliable and fast internet connection that can help them stay connected to the world. In January 2023, Colombia had 39.34 million internet users, with an internet penetration rate of 75.7% of the total population. Kepios’s analysis indicates that internet users in Colombia increased by 1.5 million between 2022 and 2023.
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9. France
1GB of data costs around $0.20 in France, making it the ninth cheapest country in the world with affordable data.
There were 60.92 million internet users in France in January 2022. The country’s internet penetration rate stood at 93% of the total population at the start of 2022. Kepios’s analysis indicates that internet users in France increased by 1.5 million between 2021 and 2022.
8. Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan ranks eighth, with 1GB of mobile data costing $0.17. In recent years, this landlocked country in Central Asia has witnessed a significant increase in internet penetration, with more and more people getting access to the World Wide Web.
By 2021, internet penetration in the country stood at 34.5%, which is a considerable improvement compared to the 8% recorded in 2010. This growth is thanks to the government’s efforts to develop the country’s digital infrastructure and the increased availability of affordable internet services.
7. India
India is among the countries with the cheapest internet in the world, at $0.16 per GB. The country also has the second-highest number of internet users in the world, with 865 million users.
One of the major challenges facing the internet segment in India is the lower average bandwidth of broadband connections compared to that of other developed countries. To compete with international standards of defining broadband speed, the Indian government has taken the aggressive step to ensure broadband networks connect all cities, towns and villages.
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6. Pakistan
At the cost of $0.12 per GB, Pakistan ranks sixth in the world. Pakistanis have enjoyed the Internet since the early 90s, and there are currently 124 million Internet users. This makes it the seventh-largest population of internet users globally. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is one of the fastest-growing industries in the country.
However, despite the growth, the lack of infrastructure has greatly affected the internet speed, encompassing technology, available backhaul, and international internet bandwidth. This is the primary reason Pakistan’s internet speed lags behind that of neighboring countries and even some less developed nations in the world.
5. Cambodia
Cambodia ranks seventh country with the cheapest mobile internet at $0.12 per GB.
In recent years, the country has experienced rapid growth in internet access, which has consequently changed the way its citizens access information, communicate and conduct business. Several factors that have resulted in this include the expansion of mobile networks, the increase in the affordability of smartphones, and the efforts that the government is making to improve the country’s digital infrastructure.
4. San Marino
This landlocked country in Western Europe ranks fourth in the world, with an internet cost of US$0.10 per GB. The Republic of San Marino has a well-developed telecommunications infrastructure, with the majority of its population having access to the Internet.
Data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) indicates that the internet penetration rate in the country stood at 89.8% in 2020, which is higher than the global average of 84.9%.
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3. Fiji
This is the third country in the world with a low cost of mobile internet at $0.09 per GB.
Despite challenges with infrastructure, the Fijian government has recognized the importance of affordable and accessible internet for the country’s economic development and has been taking steps to address these issues. In recent years, Fiji has made significant investments in its telecommunications infrastructure, including the construction of the Southern Cross Cable Network, which connects Fiji to the global internet via high-speed fiber-optic cables.
Consequently, this has resulted in improvement in reliability as well as speed in internet connection.
2. Italy
Taking second place, Italy offers mobile internet as low as $0.09 per GB. The country has excellent internet infrastructure, with 5G available to approximately 95% of its residents.
1. Israel
With an average cost of just $0.02 per gigabyte (GB), Israel ranks as the country with the cheapest mobile data in the world. The country has a highly developed technology sector that makes it one of the most connected countries in the world with over 80% of its population using the internet.
The Israeli government has been investing heavily in developing its digital infrastructure and has been promoting the use of digital services. Israel has also been ranked as one of the top countries in terms of internet speed.
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