The high prices that people in Africa pay for the internet are rarely matched by the connection speeds. This is according to a report by Speedcheck, a website that allows users to test the speed of internet connections, on the relationship between the price of mobile data and the speeds at which carriers deliver the data. Tunisia, the study’s highest-ranking African country, has download speeds that are almost twice as fast as those of Israel, the study’s highest ranking country. The average price per gigabyte in Tunisia though is 65 times that of a gigabyte in Israel. This means even though there are instances where internet speeds in the continent might be faster than those elsewhere, customers are still paying exorbitant rates for their connections. Speedcheck analyzed the mobile broadband speeds experienced by the users of its service in 89 countries in five continents and compared this to the cost of data in each of the countries. The result is a speed-price index (SPI). The higher the index, the more value for money for mobile internet users. The Speedcheck report, which covers nine African countries, adjusts these data prices with the purchasing power index for each country for better comparison. According to the study, users of mobile internet in Africa countries are getting comparatively low value for money. High data prices in Africa are a determining factor, as looking at speed alone, Tunisia, Morocco and South Africa have faster speeds than Israel, which is ranked first in the SPI.
SOURCE: QUARTZ AFRICA
More Stories
Lagos Rising: Meet the African Designers Who are Ushering in a New Guard of Fashion
My Life in Food: Idris Elba on African Cuisine and Cooking with his Mum
In His Imaginative Debut Feature, Walé Oyéjidé Brings Together Elements of His Life’s Work
What is Zellige Tile?
Ousmane Sembène at 100: A Tribute to Senegal’s ‘Father of African Cinema’
Inside an Ultra-exclusive Lodge on the Fringe of Etosha National Park
Tourists Flock to Nigerian Cave And Waterfall For Its ‘Healing Powers’
Morocco is Just as Worthy for a Sun Trip
African Markets Offer Unique Goods and Experiences
Get to Know East Africa’s Art Scene
Mo Ibrahim’s Index Looks at Africa’s State of Governance
France to Give Burkina Faso What It Wants