The results of a global study on the price of 1 GB of mobile data were recently published. We examine the results reported for the 31 Caribbean countries included in the exercise and discuss the results. We also compare the 2023 results with the 2022 findings.
In September 2023, United Kingdom telecoms firm, The Cable, also known as Cable.co.uk, published the results of a global study of the cost of 1 Gigabyte (GB) of mobile data. This year’s exercise covered 237 countries, in which 5,603 mobile data plans were collated and analysed (Source: The Cable).
The study includes 31 Caribbean/Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, and in addition to presenting the 2023 results, we also briefly examine the results recorded and presented in 2022.
Key points on Cable.co.uk’s Methodology
Between 5 July 2023 and 6 September 2023., Cable.co.uk gathered and examined the mobile data plans offered in 237 countries. The following data was recorded in each country’s local currency, and thereafter, was converted to United States Dollars (USD), based on exchange rates on 7 September 2023, in order to provide a basis for comparison:
- the cheapest price for 1 GB of mobile data
- the most expensive price for 1 GB of mobile data
- the average price for 1 GB of mobile data.
In the Caribbean region, 31 countries and a total of 520 mobile data plans were analysed. Exhibit 1 lists the countries and the number of mobile data plans per country that were examined.
Similar to previous iterations of this exercise, Cable.co.uk gathered data plans and prices that require a SIM card – so mobile/cellular data plan. However, these plans often include a quantity of free calls and texts. Additionally, the researchers included ‘pure data’ plans, such as those designed for tablets or laptop computers, “to provide the broadest balance of mobile data costing” (Source: The Cable).
Finally, it is highlighted that the exercise was not restricted to examining 1 GB mobile data plans only. A cross-section of the data plans available offered by each provider in a particular country would be selected. Also, in countries where only unlimited data deals are available, the average data usage per user was used to calculate the cost of 1GB.
Additionally, a maximum of 60 plans or packages per country were recorded, as the inclusion of more plans has a negligible impact on the median average. Finally, it should again be noted that the average cost for 1 GB has been calculated as the MEDIAN of all recorded package prices/data limits.
Cheapest price for 1GB of mobile data
Exhibit 2 highlights the cheapest price for 1 GB of mobile data across the Caribbean. The prices ranged between USD 0.09 in Haiti and USD 3.60 in the Cayman Islands.
In addition to Haiti, the cheapest prices were recorded in Trinidad and Tobago at USD 0.15 for 1 GB of data, which was followed by Martinique, at USD 0.21, and Guadeloupe, at USD 0.22. At the other end of the spectrum and in addition to the Cayman Islands, the most expensive plans for this metric were recorded in the British Virgin Islands and the United States Virgin Islands, at USD 3.38 and USD 2.80, respectively, and in Barbados, at USD 2.06.
Most expensive price for 1GB of mobile data
The most expensive prices for 1 GB of mobile data across the Caribbean are shown in Exhibit 3, which ranged from USD 1.05, in Haiti, to USD 36.79, in Guyana.
In addition to Haiti and among Caribbean countries, the lowest prices were recorded in Jamaica, at USD 1.65, and Dominica, at USD 2.47. Conversely, and after Guyana, the most expensive prices were reported in Trinidad and Tobago, at USD 25.81 and Puerto Rico, at USD 20.00.
The average price for 1GB of mobile data
The analysts at Cable.co.uk continue to note that island nations in the Caribbean tend to be among the most expensive in the world. Exhibit 4 presents the average price for 1 GB of mobile data across the region, which ranges from USD 0.22 in Haiti, to USD 8.39 in the Cayman Islands, and for which the regional average is USD 2.18.
In addition to Haiti, the lowest average prices were reported in Trinidad and Tobago, at USD 0.15, and in Martinique and Guadeloupe, at USD 0.21 and USD 0.22, respectively. At the bottom of the list, and in addition to the Cayman Islands, the highest average prices were recorded in the British Virgin Islands, at USD 5.24, and in the Bahamas, as USD 4.99.
A few thoughts on the results
Although the price for 1 GB of data continues to vary considerably across the Caribbean region, the regional average for 1 GB of data decreased from USD 3.44 in 2022 to USD 2.18 in 2023. This trend is also reflected by country, except for Puerto Rico where the average price increased from USD 1.93 to USD 2.58, as reflected in Exhibit 5.
Also, focusing on the observation made by Cable on prices in the region, it should be noted that only four Caribbean countries were ranked among the top 50 worldwide: Haiti (11th); Trinidad and Tobago (23rd); Martinique (25th); and Guadeloupe (44th). Moreover, only nine countries were ranked in the top 100 countries, with the Cayman Islands being ranked 228th out of 233 countries.
Having said this, this exercise is not examining the affordability of 1 GB of data. So although the dollar figure in the Caribbean region may be higher than in other parts of the world, the portion it would represent of an average person’s income may be relatively low.
Nevertheless, it is important to monitor the changes in prices and consider them against affordability to ensure universal digital inclusion is realised and maintained.
Image credit: Sara Kurfeß (Unsplash)
