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Cambodia ranks ‘expensive’ mobile data in region
A recent study has found that Cambodia has one of the most expensive mobile data markets in Southeast Asia.
The report released this week by Cable, a United Kingdom-based telecommunications company, found that Cambodia is the fourth most expensive country in the region when it comes to buying mobile data.
The findings came after another study that found Cambodia is among the countries in the region with the highest cost of living. That study, which was commissioned by Numbeo, a Serbia-based global statistics website, found Cambodia is the fourth most expensive country to live in Southeast Asia.
In Cambodia, 1GB of mobile data for 30 days fetches an average price of $1.50. The highest recorded price in the Kingdom for 1GB of data is $6.25/1GB, while $0.25/1GB is the lowest.
The price for 1GB in Cambodia is even higher than that of many developed countries such as Australia ($0.68/1GB), France ($0.81/1GB), Austria ($1.08/1GB) and United Kingdom ($1.39/1GB), where the cost of living is very high. Neighbouring Vietnam, the study found, sells the cheapest mobile data among Asean countries. Globally, Vietnam is ranked number 10.
The average price for 1GB in Vietnam is only $0.57. In the region, Vietnam is followed by Indonesia ($0.64/1GB), Myanmar ($0.78/1GB), Malaysia ($1.12/1GB), Thailand ($1.23/1GB) and Philippines ($1.42/1GB). Laos is the most expensive mobile data market in the region ($4.16/1GB), followed by Brunei Darussalam ($2.64/1GB) and Singapore ($2.47/1GB). Globally, India sells the cheapest mobile data, with the average price for 1GB only $0.09. The second spot is occupied by Israel ($0.11/1GB), followed by Kyrgyzstan ($0.21/1GB), Italy ($0.43/1GB), Ukraine ($0.46/1GB), Kazakhstan ($0.46/1GB), Somalia ($0.50/1GB), Sri Lanka ($0.51) and Russia ($0.52).
The most expensive prices for mobile data can be found mostly in island nations. Saint Helena, a British overseas territory in the Atlantic, has the most expensive mobile data market ($52.50/1GB), followed by the Falkland Islands, another British territory ($40.41/1GB), Nauru ($30.47/1GB), Bermuda ($28.75/1GB) and Sao Tome and Principe ($28.26/1GB).
This is not surprising considering that setting up infrastructure such as submarine cables to connect island countries to the internet is normally difficult and expensive.
To come up with the rankings, Cable conducted an analysis of 5,554 mobile data plans in 228 countries. The average price for 1GB of mobile data in each country served as the basis for the rankings.
The findings of the study could surely raise eyebrows among many Cambodians, who are accustomed to using “cheap” mobile data for their internet needs. Many locals eschew plans (package deals), preferring instead to buy airtime for their smartphones, which can be used for calling, texting or browsing the web.
Source: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50730651/cambodia-ranks-expensive-mobile-data-in-region/