Rwanda now offers the cheapest broadband internet in the East African Community bloc, leapfrogging Kenya and Tanzania, a new report shows.
New data published by British technology research firm Cable shows that netizens in the Paul Kagame-led country are paying a monthly average of $43.22 (Sh5,603) for fixed broadband connection this year down from the $60.96 (Sh7,904) that was charged last year, marking a 29.1 percent year-on-year drop.
Tanzania, which led the pack last year, saw its average cost rise to $43.44 (Sh5,632) up from $42.31 (Sh5,485) pushing it to the second position, while Kenya’s costs dropped marginally from $49.13 to $47.73 (Sh6,188) resulting in the country holding the third position this year.
Burundi has the highest charges in the region at $304.57 (Sh39,490) which is a drop from last year’s $383.79 (Sh49,604) followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) whose average pricing has dropped to $170.97 (Sh22,097) from $193.46 (Sh25,004) last year.
Citizens in Somalia and Uganda are this year paying a monthly average of $54.58 (Sh7,054) and $52.59 (Sh6,797) from $52.50 (Sh6,785) and $58.69 (7,585) respectively last year.
The publication did not contain pricing figures for war-torn South Sudan.
Globally, Kenya ranks 125th while it holds the 20th position in sub-Saharan Africa beating continental powerhouses like South Africa, Ghana, and Cameroon.
According to the data, citizens of Sudan pay the lowest monthly rates globally at $2.40 (Sh310), with all sub-Saharan African nations ranking within the top 230 cheapest jurisdictions.
In Kenya, the fixed internet market has remained under the tight grip of Safaricom which enjoys a 37.4 percent market share as per the latest statistics published by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).
The giant telco is trailed by Jamii Telecommunications Limited (JTL), Wananchi Group-owned Zuku, and Poa Internet Kenya Limited at 22.6 percent, 18.8 percent, and 13 percent share respectively.
The market has in recent times signaled hope for cheaper pricing with a new wave of intensified competition that’s being chiefly driven by an aggressive influx of commercial satellite internet providers with low-cost offerings.
Analysts have opined that traditional internet vendors will either have to toe the line regarding pricing, or risk being pushed out of business by market forces.
