Romania has dropped one position and is now ranked sixth worldwide for the cheapest fixed internet subscriptions and second in Eastern Europe, surpassed by Ukraine, according to a study by Cable.co.uk that analyzed prices in 223 countries. Still, Romania managed to stay in the top ten, ranking second in Eastern Europe after Ukraine.
There are 15 qualifying countries in the Eastern Europe region, all of which are in the top half of the table, with two (Ukraine and Romania) making it into the top ten, and 10 others in the top 50. Overall the region averages USD 18.06 per month, making it the second cheapest region in the world. The cheapest three were Ukraine (USD 7.35, 4th), Romania (USD 8.60, 6th) and Bulgaria (USD 10.47, 14th). The most expensive three were Slovenia (USD 40.29, 102nd), Montenegro (USD 25.04, 59th), and Croatia (USD 21.94, 53rd), says the study.
Despite being at war, Ukraine remains an inexpensive country in which to purchase a broadband connection, provided the ongoing turmoil has not made local connection difficult or impossible. It ranks fourth cheapest country on broadband in the world.
3,405 fixed-line broadband deals in 223 countries were analysed by broadband market experts at Cable.co.uk between 7 September 2023 and 10 November 202.
Worldwide, Sudan offers the world’s cheapest broadband, with an average cost of USD 2.40 per month. The Solomon Islands is the most expensive place in the world to get fixed-line broadband, with an average package price of USD 457.84 per month.
The 29 countries measured in Western Europe span the middle to the lower end of the table, with none in the top 50 and two in the bottom 50. The regional average price of USD 50.01 makes it the seventh cheapest of the 13 global regions overall. The cheapest in the region was Malta (USD 27.01, 63rd), followed by Italy (USD 30.97, 70th) and Spain (USD 31.99, 76th). The most expensive was Faroe Islands (USD 83.86, 182nd, followed by the Norway (USD 80.18, 176th) and Iceland (USD 76.24, 172nd).
The UK came in a lowly 96th cheapest in the global table (USD 38.79), around five times the cost of broadband in war-torn Ukraine (USD 7.87).
The United States is one of the most expensive developed Western nations at 155th place overall, and an average package cost of USD 65.00 per month and keeping company with island nations like Guyana, Dominica and French Polynesia.
Commenting on the findings of the research, Dan Howdle, consumer telecoms analyst at Cable.co.uk, said:
“It is not altogether too surprising that the most advanced, developed nations tend to have some of the most expensive broadband. After all, earnings are higher, and investment and rollout of new technologies tends to be ahead of the curve. Or so one would think.
It is interesting, however, that the cheapest broadband in the world tends to be in Eastern Europe and CIS nations. These countries tend to have some of the most advanced infrastructure too (high % full fibre FTTP coverage), and are somehow able to offer it to users at very low prices. And although Western Europe, North America and other parts of the world are catching up infrastructurally, the rest of the world stands no chance of matching those price points.
In a way it obliterates the notion that regions such as Western Europe and North America pay more because of the cost of rolling out new technologies, and actually points more readily to the idea that people in these regions are made to pay more simply because they can.”
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