UK among cheaper markets in global broadband price league

Broadband Genie has published a global ranking of fixed-line broadband prices across 214 countries, with Eastern Europe among the cheapest regions and North America among the most expensive.

The study is based on 2,631 broadband tariffs and ranks countries by median monthly cost, from cheapest to most expensive. Iran was listed as the cheapest market at USD $2.61 a month, while Wallis and Futuna was the most expensive at USD $373.88.

The United Kingdom ranked 70th, making it one of the cheaper markets in Northern and Western Europe. The United States ranked 167th, with an average monthly broadband cost of USD $80.00, placing it below several other large Western economies.

France ranked 63rd, Germany 105th and Canada 130th. Among larger Asian economies, China ranked 16th, India eighth and Japan 76th.

Regional split

At subregional level, Eastern Europe had the lowest broadband prices. Three countries from the subregion appeared in the global top 10 cheapest markets: Ukraine in second place, Romania seventh and Russia 10th.

Southern Europe was the fourth-cheapest subregion. North America, by contrast, was the second most expensive, with broadband contracts averaging USD $98.40 a month.

Polynesia was the most expensive subregion overall, with average broadband costs of USD $118.48 a month. Several territories in the region ranked near the bottom of the table, including Tonga at 172nd, American Samoa at 174th, French Polynesia at 180th and Wallis and Futuna at 214th. Niue was an exception, ranking 53rd.

Emerging markets

The data also pointed to relatively low prices in several emerging markets. Egypt ranked sixth with an average monthly cost of USD $7.91, while Vietnam was 11th, Brazil 47th and the Philippines 78th.

The comparison suggests lower fixed-line broadband prices are more common in parts of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Southern Asia and South-Eastern Asia than in wealthier Western markets. It also highlights wide differences in cost between neighbouring regions and among countries with very different income levels and infrastructure development.

The ranking measures what consumers can buy in fixed-line broadband markets rather than overall internet access costs. In some countries, especially in parts of the Caribbean and Africa, mobile data remains the main way many people get online, which can limit the relevance of fixed-line comparisons.

The study also noted that local economic factors can affect headline pricing. Iran's position at the top of the cheapest list was attributed in part to the sharp fall in the local currency against the US dollar, which reduced its cost when converted into US currency.

Wallis and Futuna's position at the other end of the table reflects the economics of serving remote territories. Its geographic isolation in the South Pacific and lack of nearby regional network infrastructure were cited as barriers to lower broadband prices.

Alex Tofts, Broadband Expert at Broadband Genie, said: "Our Global Broadband Price League offers a snapshot of the fixed-line broadband market across the world and what people can sign up to today.

"The highest broadband costs are usually found in remote countries, including places with difficult terrain and island nations. These areas often lack nearby states to help extend modern infrastructure.

"It is important to note that many countries, especially in the Caribbean and Africa, mainly use mobile data to access the internet. That means fixed-line broadband is not the main connectivity option for a large share of the population.

"By contrast, many countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Southern Asia and South-Eastern Asia have low-cost broadband. This is often due to the widespread use of fibre.

"In Western economies such as the USA, Canada and the UK, broadband prices are usually higher. This reflects the higher overall cost of living in those markets."