The cost of 1GB of mobile data in 228 countries (Feb 2020)
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Re: The cost of 1GB of mobile data in 228 countries (Feb 2020)
#2Trouble is that webpage is largely a meaningless waste of time. Anybody who has done business with the mobile operators can tell you that.
It doesn't take into account the different types of contracts (e.g. are we talking about personal or business contracts, pay as you go or contract etc. etc. etc. etc.).
Nor does it take into account the infinite and ever changing commercial promotions the operators run.
If the chart on that website was to be believed, the data on my mobile contract should be costing me 15x more per GB than it actually does !
Load of codswallop.
Re: The cost of 1GB of mobile data in 228 countries (Feb 2020)
#3I don't understand, why is it that it costs less than $1 in countries in Asia for a GB of mobile data but costs ~$15 for the same in the United States?
Can someone with knowledge of the industry please explain the reasons for this discrepancy to me?
Re: The cost of 1GB of mobile data in 228 countries (Feb 2020)
#4I drove around Africa from mid 2016 to mid 2019[1]. I bought a SIM in most of the 35 countries I went to, uploaded YT vids, hi-res photos and just video chatted family. Overall the 3G connectivity was impressively fast, and almost always a fraction of the price of Canada or the US.
Overall, I was extremely impressed.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waQGUz0Z97Y&list=PLNiCe5roBX...
Re: The cost of 1GB of mobile data in 228 countries (Feb 2020)
#5Not sure about South Korea, for instance, being at 202nd place for affordability there when unlimited plans for even pre-paid tourist SIMs are a thing.
Re: The cost of 1GB of mobile data in 228 countries (Feb 2020)
#6I don't understand, why is it that it costs less than $1 in countries in Asia for a GB of mobile data but costs ~$15 for the same in the United States? Can someone with knowledge of the industry please explain the reasons for this discrepancy to me?
Demand and supply. Clearing prices are higher in the US for a variety of reasons.
Re: The cost of 1GB of mobile data in 228 countries (Feb 2020)
#7I don't understand, why is it that it costs less than $1 in countries in Asia for a GB of mobile data but costs ~$15 for the same in the United States? Can someone with knowledge of the industry please explain the reasons for this discrepancy to me?
Maybe the word 'cost' is not the right term, better would be to talk about 'price'. The price is as high as the market will bear, clearly people are used to paying more for data in the USA and as such there is less incentive to bring down prices. The actual cost - as in what it costs to send data from A to B inside a carrier network - does not vary much between countries and can even be higher in some of those countries where retail prices are lower than in the USA.
Re: The cost of 1GB of mobile data in 228 countries (Feb 2020)
#8I drove around Africa from mid 2016 to mid 2019[1]. I bought a SIM in most of the 35 countries I went to, uploaded YT vids, hi-res photos and just video chatted family. Overall the 3G connectivity was impressively fast, and almost always a fraction of the price of Canada or the US. Overall, I was extremely impressed. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waQGUz0Z97Y&list=PLNiCe5roBX...
Woah that's quite an adventure!
How come you stopped in Egypt and didn't go back to Morocco?
Tunisia is a great country to visit.
Re: The cost of 1GB of mobile data in 228 countries (Feb 2020)
#9Trouble is that webpage is largely a meaningless waste of time. Anybody who has done business with the mobile operators can tell you that. It doesn't take into account the different types of contracts (e.g. are we talking about personal or business contracts, pay as you go or contract etc. etc. etc. etc.). Nor does it take into account the infinite and ever changing commercial promotions the operators run. If the cha…
Exactly, just take Canada for example, most expensive 1gb: $99usd, it's clearly not just for a simple "1gb data" plan, it's probably one that allows unlimited call worldwide without any charge...
Some places probably doesn't even have those kind of plan so of course they will rank lower if every plans are under $20 because there is nothing worthy in it...
Re: The cost of 1GB of mobile data in 228 countries (Feb 2020)
#10Not sure about South Korea, for instance, being at 202nd place for affordability there when unlimited plans for even pre-paid tourist SIMs are a thing.
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