Data-Only Mobile-Broadband

(100MB; 500MB; 1GB; 2GB; 5GB; 10GB, 3G and above)

The latest edition of our mobile pricing data shows that costs continue to come down. This is welcome news. But our data also makes clear that in a world where internet access has become a lifeline, progress is far too slow, a billion people still living in countries where basic access is not affordable.

As demand for ICTs continues to grow, we must also take a hard look at today’s affordability targets and consider how we raise ambitions to meet people’s need for affordable meaningful connectivity. Read a brief overview over the trends seen this year and see also data from 2019, 2018 and previous years. Full datasets are available for download in csv format or xlsx format. In addition, A4AI has published data on an expanded set of internet price baskets across more than 200 countries, in partnership with the ITU.

100MB 500MB 1GB 2GB 5GB 10GB
Countries GNI per capita GNI per capita GNI per capita GNI per capita GNI per capita GNI per capita
Afghanistan 5.46% 5.46% 5.46% 8.49% 10.31% 18.16%
Algeria 0.78% 0.78% 0.78% 1.04% 1.57% 3.13%
Angola 0.81% 2.32% 2.32% 3.24% 6.02% 12.05%
Argentina 1.04% 1.04% 1.04% 1.04% 1.50% 2.33%
Bangladesh 0.43% 1.15% 1.39% 2.12% 2.20% 3.38%
Belize 4.80% 4.80% 4.80% 4.80% 4.80% 9.47%
Benin 3.39% 3.39% 4.24% 6.79% 10.18% 20.36%
Bolivia 0.45% 1.00% 1.99% 2.79% 4.29% 6.98%
Botswana 0.85% 0.85% 1.44% 1.44% 3.41% 4.92%
Brazil 1.07% 1.07% 1.07% 1.07% 1.07% 2.15%
Burkina Faso 4.07% 4.07% 6.79% 10.86% 21.72% 40.73%
Burundi 2.48% 8.69% 13.83% 18.62% 30.32% 50.53%
Côte d’Ivoire 2.59% 2.59% 2.59% 4.62% 9.24% 11.09%
Cambodia 0.81% 0.81% 1.62% 2.42% 4.04% 7.27%
Cameroon 1.00% 1.76% 1.76% 2.89% 7.25% 13.95%
Cape Verde 1.21% 1.21% 1.69% 2.94% 5.70% 8.64%
Central African Republic 11.40% 16.29% 24.44% 36.66% 61.10% 101.83%
Chad 7.33% 11.73% 14.66% 20.52% 29.32% 46.91%
China 0.17% 0.34% 0.34% 0.51% 1.02% 2.04%
Colombia 1.50% 1.50% 1.50% 1.99% 2.50% 4.96%
Comoros 4.78% 4.78% 4.78% 9.56% 15.61% 19.52%
Congo Brazzaville 2.29% 2.86% 5.60% 11.43% 20.58% 28.58%
Costa Rica 0.71% 0.71% 0.71% 0.71% 2.13% 3.55%
Cuba 0.76% 0.76% 1.51% 2.27% 6.04% 11.33%
D.R Congo 7.23% 18.08% 20.67% 41.33% 64.59% 103.34%
Dominican Republic 1.19% 1.19% 1.19% 1.78% 2.49% 2.49%
Ecuador 2.00% 2.00% 2.00% 2.00% 3.00% 4.80%
Egypt 0.12% 0.23% 0.47% 0.94% 1.88% 3.52%
El Salvador 3.01% 3.01% 3.01% 3.01% 3.01% 4.52%
Equatorial Guinea 4.67% 5.67% 6.67% 13.34% 26.67% 53.34%
Ethiopia 2.76% 2.76% 5.01% 9.52% 20.05% 35.09%
Fiji 2.72% 2.72% 2.72% 2.72% 2.72% 2.72%
Gabon 0.72% 0.72% 1.29% 2.01% 2.87% 4.30%
Gambia 1.29% 4.69% 8.08% 16.00% 24.89% 42.02%
Georgia 0.28% 0.28% 0.46% 0.65% 1.39% 2.79%
Ghana 0.21% 0.45% 1.36% 2.71% 6.78% 10.67%
Guatemala 3.40% 3.40% 3.40% 3.40% 3.40% 5.15%
Guinea 5.21% 5.21% 5.21% 6.51% 12.76% 24.08%
Guinea-Bissau 4.38% 5.48% 6.57% 10.96% 24.65% 41.09%
Guyana 4.08% 4.08% 4.08% 4.08% 6.88% 12.25%
Haiti 3.42% 3.42% 3.42% 3.42% 5.48% 9.36%
Honduras 8.23% 8.23% 8.23% 9.78% 11.63% 20.58%
India 1.05% 1.05% 1.05% 1.05% 1.62% 1.62%
Indonesia 1.16% 1.16% 1.16% 1.33% 1.33% 2.11%
Iran NA NA NA NA NA NA
Jamaica 2.85% 2.85% 2.85% 2.85% 2.85% 5.71%
Jordan 3.54% 3.54% 3.54% 3.54% 3.54% 3.54%
Kazakhstan 0.36% 0.36% 0.36% 0.36% 0.55% 0.73%
Kenya 0.93% 1.65% 2.62% 3.31% 6.61% 13.22%
Kyrgyzstan 1.42% 1.42% 2.12% 2.55% 4.89% 4.89%
Laos 0.54% 1.08% 2.16% 2.16% 2.16% 3.24%
Lebanon 1.55% 1.55% 3.39% 4.02% 4.02% 5.11%
Lesotho 3.52% 4.28% 4.53% 6.29% 11.01% 15.72%
Liberia 4.35% 4.35% 8.70% 13.04% 17.39% 34.78%
Libya 0.44% 1.32% 1.76% 2.63% 2.74% 2.74%
Madagascar 6.56% 7.88% 13.78% 16.41% 41.02% 75.47%
Malawi 4.80% 9.61% 14.01% 20.02% 42.04% 62.06%
Malaysia 0.65% 0.65% 0.65% 0.65% 0.73% 0.73%
Mali 1.65% 4.72% 4.72% 8.26% 11.80% 23.61%
Mauritius 0.54% 0.54% 0.54% 0.82% 1.37% 2.73%
Mexico 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 1.30% 2.60% 5.21%
Mongolia 1.95% 1.95% 1.95% 1.95% 1.95% 3.31%
Morocco 0.79% 0.79% 0.79% 1.19% 1.98% 3.97%
Mozambique 3.20% 4.80% 7.19% 11.99% 19.98% 39.97%
Myanmar 0.40% 0.46% 0.75% 1.50% 3.46% 6.75%
Namibia 0.77% 1.99% 1.99% 1.99% 2.99% 3.34%
Nepal 2.55% 2.55% 2.55% 2.55% 4.91% 6.87%
Nicaragua 5.44% 5.44% 5.44% 5.44% 5.44% 6.80%
Niger 7.50% 7.50% 7.50% 13.12% 26.24% 29.99%
Nigeria 1.71% 1.71% 1.71% 2.05% 4.28% 5.99%
Pakistan 0.51% 0.51% 0.51% 0.51% 1.54% 2.57%
Papua New Guinea 10.69% 10.69% 10.69% 12.72% 19.08% 25.45%
Paraguay 1.55% 1.55% 1.55% 1.55% 2.06% 2.21%
Peru 1.51% 1.51% 1.51% 1.51% 1.89% 3.78%
Philippines 1.27% 1.27% 1.27% 1.81% 2.12% 2.18%
Rwanda 1.72% 3.44% 3.44% 6.88% 13.75% 17.19%
Senegal 2.03% 2.76% 2.76% 2.76% 5.81% 7.56%
Sierra Leone 2.26% 5.64% 10.73% 15.60% 46.80% 78.01%
Solomon Islands 11.97% 11.97% 11.97% 11.97% 20.30% 20.30%
Somalia NA NA NA NA NA NA
South Africa 0.34% 1.13% 1.41% 2.82% 4.97% 6.68%
South Sudan NA NA NA NA NA NA
Sri Lanka 0.28% 0.28% 0.28% 0.35% 0.75% 1.38%
Sudan 2.30% 2.30% 2.30% 4.15% 9.73% 12.22%
Surinam 2.34% 2.34% 2.34% 2.34% 3.65% 3.65%
Tajikistan 1.24% 3.48% 3.73% 7.33% 18.26% 31.06%
Tanzania 4.77% 4.77% 4.77% 5.72% 7.15% 14.31%
Thailand 1.02% 1.02% 1.02% 1.23% 2.16% 2.45%
Timor-Leste 2.68% 2.68% 2.68% 3.92% 8.28% 15.92%
Togo 4.23% 7.55% 15.10% 18.12% 36.24% 54.37%
Trinidad and Tobago 2.33% 2.33% 2.33% 2.33% 2.33% 2.91%
Tunisia 1.28% 1.28% 1.28% 1.28% 1.92% 3.20%
Turkey 0.71% 0.71% 0.71% 0.95% 0.95% 0.95%
Uganda 2.34% 3.61% 5.95% 8.49% 16.99% 21.24%
Ukraine 1.54% 1.54% 1.54% 1.54% 2.15% 2.15%
Uzbekistan 0.69% 1.54% 1.71% 1.71% 3.49% 7.76%
Venezuela NA NA NA NA NA NA
Vietnam 1.04% 1.04% 1.04% 1.04% 1.87% 2.49%
Yemen NA NA NA NA NA NA
Zambia 2.92% 3.65% 3.65% 7.30% 7.30% 14.61%
Zimbabwe NA NA NA NA NA NA

Methods and Sources

The above figures are based on the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) ICT price data collection rules to determine the cheapest prepaid data-only mobile-broadband plan per country. That is, the cheapest plan providing at least 1GB of high speed data (≥ 256Kbit/s) over a 30-day (or four weeks) period of time from the operator with the largest market share in each economy. In some countries, smaller data bundles (e.g., 100MB) are not available and instead we identify the cheapest option to purchase that bundle. This may lead to the same price for several bundles. The pricing data was collected by the A4AI during the second quarter (Apr-Jun) of 2020.

No data was available for Iran, South Sudan, Venezuela, Yemen and Zimbabwe.

Gross National Income (GNI) per capita data and PPP conversion factors are from the World Bank World Development Indicators, 2019 (or last available year). GNI per capita current LCU was used for all cases, unless when prices were registered in USD. In those cases the Atlas method (current US$) was used instead. No recent (2017 or later) GNI data was available for Somalia.

The reference exchange rates are based on 2020 Q2-Q3 average (extracted 20.11.2020) from the IMF (Exchange Rates, Domestic Currency per US Dollar, Period Average, Rate – ENDA_XDC_USD_RATE) and UN OPS (Operational rates of exchange – monthly).

Maps made with HighCharts