ISLAMABAD – A recent report by VR Social reveals that Pakistan is one of the ten most expensive countries when it comes to fixed broadband services.
The average cost of internet in Pakistan stands at $0.53 per megabit per second (Mbps), a rate higher than countries like the UK ($0.36), South Africa ($0.50), and Indonesia ($0.41).
Despite this, several nations have even steeper broadband prices, while others enjoy incredibly low rates.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the most expensive country globally, with broadband costs soaring to $4.31 per Mbps, nearly eight times the price in Pakistan.
Other countries with high broadband costs include Ghana ($2.58), Switzerland ($2.07), Kenya ($1.54), and Morocco ($1.16), all of which face challenges like limited competition and costly infrastructure, resulting in high prices for consumers.
In stark contrast, certain nations in Eastern Europe and Asia offer broadband at significantly lower prices. Romania, for instance, charges just $0.01 per Mbps, which is 53 times cheaper than Pakistan’s rate. Similarly, Russia and Thailand charge $0.02 per Mbps, while Chile, Poland, and Singapore have rates of $0.03 per Mbps.
These low prices are attributed to competitive telecom markets and well-developed infrastructure, something that Pakistan lacks.
The global disparity in broadband pricing is evident, with the cost of internet in the UAE being 400 times higher than in Romania.
Pakistan’s relatively high internet costs are largely due to a lack of market competition, slow fiber optic network expansion, and significant infrastructure gaps, particularly in rural regions.
