Kenya is position 21 out of 47 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with the cheapest mobile data cost in 2021. This is according to research by Cable.co.uk. Kenya ranks behind Sudan, Somalia, Ghana, Tanzania, and Mauritius, the top five nations with the cheapest cost of mobile internet in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Globally, Kenya is ranked 118th out of 230 countries with the cheapest mobile data.
According to the research, the average cost of 1 GB of mobile data in Kenya in 2021 is Ksh. 242.66 ($2.25), far below the average cost of 1GB of data in the Sub-Sahara region Ksh. 694.55 ($6.44). Sub Sahara Africa cumulatively has the most expensive cost of internet in the world. The region is home to 4 out of the 5 nations with the most expensive cost of mobile data in the globe.
The world’s top five nations with the highest cost of data as per the Cable.co.uk report are; Equatorial Guinea, Falkland Islands, Saint Helena, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Malawi.
Israel has the cheapest cost of mobile data in the world in 2021. The average price of 1 GB of mobile internet in Israel is Ksh. 5.40 ($0.05). Other countries with fairly cheap mobile internet are; Kyrgyzstan, Fiji, Italy and Sudan.
Cable has classified nations into four categories that help explain the cost and availability of mobile data around the world. According to the research, countries with excellent infrastructure are more likely to have cheaper cost of internet than countries without the infrastructure.
Additionally, nations that heavily rely on mobile data and have competing service providers have lower cost of mobile data than nations that do not solely rely on mobile data. In places where internet consumption is low, the price of data is high due to the high cost of maintaining the telecommunications infrastructure. Wealthy nations have cheaper cost of mobile data due to advanced infrastructure and a healthy market for internet services.