Broadband packages in the UAE have been ranked most expensive in the Middle East, according to data from 3,351 individual broadband packages gathered by BDRC Continental and compiled and analyzed by Cable.co.uk during the eight-week period up to 12 October 2017.
In the Middle East, war-ravaged Syria came in cheapest with an average monthly price of US$ 12.15 per month (and ranked fifth overall), with Saudi Arabia (US$ 84.03), Bahrain (US$ 104.93), Oman (US$ 147.87), Qatar (US$ 149.41) and the United Arab Emirates (US$ 155.17) providing the most expensive connectivity in the region.
The data shows that Iran offers the world’s cheapest broadband, with an average cost of US$ 5.37 per month. Burkina Faso is the most expensive, with an average package price of US$ 954.54. Six of the top ten cheapest countries in the world are found in the former USSR (Commonwealth of Independent States or CIS), including the Russian Federation itself.
Within Western Europe, Italy is the cheapest, with an average package price of US$ 28.89 per month, followed by Germany (US$ 34.07), Denmark (US$ 35.90) and France (US$ 36.34). The UK came in 8th cheapest out of 28, with an average package price of US$ 40.52 per month.
Iran is the cheapest in Asia (as well as cheapest globally) with an average package price of US$ 5.37 per month, followed by Nepal (US$ 18.85) and Sri Lanka (US$ 20.17) – all three ranked among the cheapest in the world. The Maldives (US$ 86.08), Laos (US$ 231.76) and Brunei (US$ 267.33) provide the most expensive package price per month.
Mexico is the cheapest country in Central America with an average broadband package cost per month of US$ 26.64, whereas Panama is the most expensive with an average package price of US$ 112.77 per month.
In North America, Canada offers the cheapest broadband on average (US$ 54.92), coming in 21 positions ahead of the United States globally (US$ 66.17). Bermuda provides the most expensive packages in the region with an average price of US$ 126.80 per month.
Saint-Martin offers the cheapest broadband in the Caribbean, with an average package price of USD 20.72 per month, with the British Virgin Islands (US$ 146.05), Antigua and Barbuda (US$ 153.78), Cayman Islands (US$ 175.27) and Haiti (224.19) at the most expensive end, both regionally and globally.
Sub-Saharan Africa fared worst overall with almost all countries in the most expensive half of the table. Burkina Faso charges residential users a staggering US$ 954.54 per month for their ADSL. Meanwhile Namibia (US$ 432.86), Zimbabwe (US$ 170.00) and Mali (US$ 163.96) are among the 10 most expensive countries.
All 13 countries in Oceania were found in the most expensive half of the global table. Generally, larger landmasses such as Australia and New Zealand are cheaper than smaller islands in the region. Fiji, however, is actually the cheapest in Oceania with an average cost of US$ 57.44. Vanuatu (US$ 154.07), Cook Islands (US$ 173.57) and Papua New Guinea (US$ 597.20) are the most expensive in the region, with the latter coming in second-most expensive in the world.
