Mobile data rates cheapest in Rwanda, Sudan than in Nigeria

Nigeria is the 44th country that provides mobile data at the lowest rate in the world, according to a new study that revealed Rwanda as the number one that provides mobile data at the lowest rate in Africa.

National Daily gathered that Rwanda, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo all featured in the top ten position of countries that provide mobile data at the lowest rate in the world, with Nigeria emerging at 11th position for Africa.

For the study, data from 6,313 mobile data plans in 230 countries were gathered and analysed by Cable.co.uk between October 23 and November 28, 2018, and the average cost of one gigabyte (1GB) was then calculated and compared to form a worldwide mobile data pricing league table.

According to the study, while 1GB of data cost $2.22 that is N806 in Nigeria on the average, 1GB of data cost $0.56 (N203) in Rwanda, $0.68 (N246) in Sudan and $0.88 (N319) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, on the average.

India emerged as the country that provides mobile data at the lowest rate in the world, with 1GB of data costing $0.26 (N94) on the average in comparison to the global average of $8.53 (N3,096).

“Many of the cheapest countries in which to buy mobile data fall roughly into one of two categories.

“Some have excellent mobile and fixed broadband infrastructure and so providers are able to offer large amounts of data, which brings down the price per gigabyte.

“Others with less advanced broadband networks are heavily reliant on mobile data and the economy dictates that prices must be low, as that’s what people can afford.

“At the more expensive end of the list, we have countries where often the infrastructure isn’t great but also where consumption is very small.

“People often buy data packages of just tens of megabytes at a time, making a gigabyte a relatively large and therefore expensive amount of data to buy.

“Many countries in the middle of the list have good infrastructure and competitive mobile markets, and while their prices aren’t among the cheapest in the world they wouldn’t necessarily be considered expensive by their consumers,” Dan Howdle, consumer telecoms analyst at Cable.co.uk said.

Mobile data packages are most expensive in 230 of 230 ranking Zimbabwe where 1GB of data cost on an average $75.20 (N27,297), according to the study.