Top 10 Countries with Cheapest Mobile Internet Service; Is Indonesia Included?

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The internet has become a basic need for humans in the modern era, and its application has expanded beyond mere communication to encompass a vast array of activities, including education, social networking, entertainment, and financial services such as investment and banking.

Countries in the world have been competing to provide adequate internet access at an affordable price for their citizens. A UK-based enterprise, Cable.co.uk, conducted a comprehensive study that compared the average cost of mobile data per gigabyte (GB) from over 5,600 mobile data packages from 237 countries.  The study was conducted from June to September 2023.

Here is the list of the top ten countries with the cheapest mobile internet service:

1. Israel

Israel boasts an impressive smartphone market penetration, surpassing that of the United States while providing its citizens with the lowest average price of only US$0.02 or around Rp300 for one GB with 4G LTE and 5G network coverage.

2. Italy

In Italy, 95 percent of the population enjoys 5G network coverage, in addition to the widespread 4G coverage. Its telecommunication operators offer an array of affordable mobile data packages, averaging US$0.09 or Rp1,350 per gigabyte.

3. Fiji

Despite its remote location, Fiji has made significant investments in its telecommunications infrastructure, including the Southern Cross Cable Network, providing its citizens with 4G and 5G coverage at an average price of only US$0.09 or Rp1,350 per gigabyte.

4. San Marino

San Marino ranks high on the list of countries with high internet penetration rates of 89.8 percent in 2020, surpassing the global average of 84.9 percent, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The average internet cost in the country is only US$0.10 or Rp1,500 per gigabyte.

5. Cambodia

As one of the countries with the cheapest mobile data packages in the world, Cambodians only need to spend around US$0.12 or Rp1,800 per gigabyte. In 2015, the Cambodian government launched the Cambodia ICT Master Plan 2020, stating the country's vision to create an electronically literate society by 2020.

6. Pakistan

Despite lagging behind other developing countries in terms of technological infrastructure and internet speed, Pakistani residents can still access one gigabyte of internet for US$0.12 or Rp1,800. Since the 1990s, most locals have become familiar with the internet.

7. India

India, renowned as the home to global technology figures, offers its residents internet rates of US$0.16 or Rp2,400 per gigabyte. However, it is encountering a big challenge, namely the low average broadband connection bandwidth. Hence, the government is continuously striving to improve its broadband connection bandwidth through government initiatives and subsidies.

8. Kyrgyzstan

The average price of a one-gigabyte internet package in Kyrgyzstan is around US$0.17 or Rp2,550. In 2021, the country's internet penetration reached 34.5 percent, a fourfold increase compared to 2010, which was only eight percent.

9. France

People in France can access one gigabyte of internet for US$0.20 or Rp3,000. The internet penetration rate in the country had already reached 93 percent in early 2022, or around 60.92 million users.

10. Colombia

Colombia is ranked tenth on the list of the top ten countries with the cheapest mobile data globally. One gigabyte is priced at around US$0.20 or Rp3,000. The country in the South American region recorded a total of 39.34 million internet users, with a penetration rate of 75.7 percent of the total population in early 2023.

How about Indonesia?

Indonesia, the fourth most populous country globally, ranks 17th on the list of countries with the most cost-effective mobile internet service. Based on the Cable.uk.co study, the average price per gigabyte in Indonesia is approximately US$0.28 or Rp4,200.

MELYNDA DWI PUSPITA 

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